Bank manager in Battle Ground WA stole $1.2 million from unsuspecting customers
Friday, October 13, 2023
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Battle Ground is in Clark County near the Columbia River Google maps |
Tacoma –A 44-year-old former bank manager from Battle Ground, Clark County, Washington, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.
Brian Davie, a former branch manager at Wells Fargo, used unauthorized cash withdrawals, money transfers, and cashier’s checks to steal over $1 million.
Davie targeted elderly and vulnerable customers. Eight victims have been identified. One woman had more than $566,000 stolen from her retirement accounts. Davie is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle on January 2, 2024.
Davie worked for Wells Fargo in Battle Ground from March of 2014 until he was fired in June 2019.
According to records in the case, Davie used his position as a manager at the branch to conduct unauthorized transactions. Davie had access to customer files containing information about bank account balances.
Davie hid his criminal activity by repeatedly exchanging cashier’s checks until they were small enough to cash without triggering banking reporting requirements.
Davie continued undetected because he stole from elderly customers who might be less likely to closely monitor their account balances. Some of Davie’s victims had dementia or had limited English skills and did not understand banking transactions.
In at least one case, Davie failed to file the paperwork to install a victim’s relative as a co-signer on the victim’s accounts. That failure prevented the relative from being able to monitor the account and detect the fraudulent transactions.
Davie deposited some of the stolen money in an account he created in the name of a relative’s business. He made some of the cashier’s checks payable to that relative or to the business account he created. Much of the money was withdrawn as cash.
In all Davie embezzled S1,279,840 from victim accounts. Wells Fargo reimbursed victims for their losses. Judge Settle will determine the amount of restitution at sentencing.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a four-year prison sentence. The actual sentence will be determined by Judge Settle who will consider a number of statutory factors before determining the appropriate sentence.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Wells Fargo investigation team. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Dillon
2 comments:
Will if your going to do it you might as well do it Big...
I had a Friend when I was young who Rob a Plaid Pantry and when the Judge sentenced him the Judge said he was the most DANORUS kind of Robber... Judge said you get a roll of Penny's and a Big Gulp to go just enough to make it to the next Plaid Pantry...and nail him Big time...Judge said I would have much more respect if you did a Big Job that would keep you in a luxurious kind of life...But he was dangerous....To me it made sence what the Judge said...
So in a way my hat is not off to you but maybe a tilt of the Hat...AT THE SAME TIME I HATE THIEF'S....
Better call Saul
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