Feds say bank worker planned malicious code for ATMs

A Bank of America Corp. employee plotted to deploy malicious computer code within the company's systems so that ATM machines would dispense cash without any record of a transaction, federal prosecutors allege in court documents.

Rodney Reed Caverly was tasked with maintaining and designing computer systems at the bank, including computers that conducted ATM transactions. Prosecutors in the western district of North Carolina said he used computer code within the company's protected computers so that the ATMs would make fraudulent disbursements.

Caverly was able to obtain more than $5,000 during a seven-month period in 2009, prosecutors allege.

The details of Caverly's case were filed last week in a "bill of information" document, which typically signals that a plea deal is forthcoming. An attorney for Caverly, Christopher Fialko, declined to comment. Federal prosecutors didn't return a phone call.

Shirley Norton, a spokeswoman with Bank of America, said the bank officials detected the problem with their internal controls and turned the case over to authorities.

"The fraud here was against the bank," she said. "The customer accounts were never at risk."