(South Bend, IN) - Two La Porte brothers will be going to prison for stealing money from victims' bank accounts and using the funds to bet on sports.

Raymond Smith, 27, was given a 70 month sentence in U.S. District Court in South Bend.  Bruce Smith, 25, was sentenced to 39 months in prison. Court documents show they stole more than $700,000 from 60 victims after accessing their bank account numbers and passwords in 2021. Part of the sentence requires them to pay back the stolen funds. The older brother must also pay more than $160,000 to the Internal Revenue Service for not paying taxes on the stolen money, according to court records.

Authorities said the men obtained personal information from the victims like social security and bank account numbers and answers to bank account security questions.  The information was used to open accounts on sportsbook wagering sites, which allowed money from the banks of the victims to be transferred into the betting sites, authorities said.