A former TD Bank executive in Maine who is accused of spending nearly $220,000 of the bank’s money at strip clubs within a year is scheduled to appear in federal court in Portland this week to face a felony theft charge.

Jeffrey Burnham, 41, of Arundel used his TD Bank corporate credit card 72 times at strip clubs in Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Florida from Feb. 18, 2011, to Feb. 16, 2012, according to court records.

Burnham, who was a vice president and regional mortgage sales manager at the bank’s Falmouth office at the time, has been issued a summons to appear in U.S. District Court on Thursday morning to make his initial appearance on a charge of theft by a bank officer.

If convicted, he will face up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine of $1 million.

Burnham left TD Bank in February 2012, after about 14 years with the company and its predecessor, Peoples Heritage Bank. He went on to work for Kennebunk Savings Bank as senior vice president overseeing the bank’s retail banking operations, but no longer works there.

“Burnham justified these expenses by falsely claiming they were for business-related purposes, including conferences, meals with employees or clients and membership dues. TD Bank then paid these expenses using bank funds,” said Paul Pritchard, a special agent for the FBI, in an affidavit filed with the court.

Court records give no account of how Burnham spent so much money at the strip clubs, whether he used the money to buy alcohol or for other entertainment.

Burnham allegedly used his corporate card to charge $10,088 on Dec. 2, 2011, at a business he listed on his expenses as “La Grange Boston MA,” which operates the Centerfolds strip club in Boston.

After Burnham left TD Bank, an employee opened his corporate credit card statement and noticed two “suspicious” charges, one to “La Grange Boston MA” and another to “Kenkev II, Inc. Portland ME,” which operates PT’s Show Club in Portland, according to Pritchard’s affidavit.

The FBI learned that Burnham charged about $35,000 to his corporate credit card in less than a month from January to February 2012 at Centerfolds and PT’s Show Club, Pritchard wrote.

Burnham admitted in a written statement to TD Bank’s internal investigators in June 2012 that he used the corporate card for personal expenses, Pritchard wrote.

Federal agents interviewed Burnham at the Portland FBI office on March 27, 2013, when he admitted again that he used the corporate card for personal expenses and certified in writing that his written confession to the bank was accurate, the affidavit says.

Burnham was not arrested after the interview and has not been formally charged. He is expected to be charged during his court appearance Thursday.

Burnham did not return a phone message left Monday at his home in Arundel. His attorney, Sarah Churchill, said Burnham got the message but has declined to comment publicly.

Churchill would not discuss specifics of the case or Burnham’s past employment, but said she expects he will be allowed to remain free while the case is pending, with conditions.

A TD Bank spokeswoman, Lauren Moyer, would not comment on the case against Burnham.

Kennebunk Savings Bank’s vice president of community relations, Heather Harris, did not return a message seeking comment on Burnham’s employment there.

Kennebunk Savings Bank said in a press release in May 2013 that Burnham had been promoted to senior vice president. The release said that he was on the Arundel Economic Development Committee and the Arundel Recreation Committee, and was a member of the Kennebunk Fire Society.

Arundel Town Manager Todd Shea did not return a phone message to say whether Burnham still holds his positions on the town boards.

Scott Dolan can be contacted at 791-6304 or at:

sdolan@pressherald.com

Twitter: @scottddolan