PORTLAND, Maine — A former vice president at TD Bank accused of using a corporate credit card to rack up $220,000 in charges at “gentlemen’s clubs” made his first appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court.
Jeffrey C. Burnham, 41, was not asked to enter a plea to one count of theft by a bank officer because he has not yet been indicted by a federal grand jury, according to information on the court’s electronic case filing system.
Burnham was released on $5,000 unsecured bail after surrendering his passport. Bail conditions include his not obtaining a new one and seeking medical or psychiatric treatment, if directed to do so by the U.S. Department of Probation and Pre-trial services.
He allegedly admitted the fraud to the company, according to an affidavit filed by Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent Paul S. Pritchard III. He later allegedly admitted to Pritchard that he used the card at the clubs.
The longtime employee, whose office was in Falmouth, is charged with using the card on 72 occasions at “several different gentlemen’s clubs” located in Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Florida between February 2011 and February 2012.
Burnham then allegedly described the expenditures as legitimate business expenses including conferences, meals with employees or clients and membership dues. The bank then paid the credit card bills, the court records show.
In one case, Burnham’s credit card statement shows a charge to “La Grange, Boston, Massachusetts” for $10,088 incurred on Dec. 2, 2011, the complaint alleges. La Grange operates the gentlemen’s club Centerfolds in Boston.
In a subsequent email to another TD Bank employee, Burnham allegedly wrote that the charge was for membership in the Massachusetts Bankers Association.
After Burnham left the bank in February 2012, another bank employee opened his most recent corporate credit card statement and noticed charges at La Grange and Kenkev II Inc. in Portland. Kenkev II operates PT’s Show Club, a gentlemen’s club in Portland.
An investigation by the company revealed that the invoice was not authentic, the company did not have a membership, and that the membership fee was only $995.
Burnham allegedly charged approximately $35,000 at Centerfolds and PT’s Show Club between Jan. 24 and Feb. 20, 2012.
If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Burnham most likely would be ordered to pay restitution if convicted.
BDN writer Beth Brogan contributed to this report.