TACOMA, Wash. — A 44-year-old bank manager from Battle Ground Washington pleaded guilty to Bank Fraud and Aggravated identity theft at the U.S. District Court in Tacoma on Thursday.
The money was primarily taken from elderly clients who were less likely to check their accounts, according to the court.
Eight victims have since been identified, including one woman who had more than $566,000 stolen from her retirement accounts.
Former Wells Fargo branch manager Gorman. Brian Davie is said to have used unauthorized cash withdrawals, transfers, and cashier’s checks to steal the money.
In total, Davie embezzled S1,279,840 from various victim accounts.
He had worked for Wells Fargo in Battle Ground Washington from March 2014 until June 2019 when he was fired.
According to records, Davie hid the criminal activity by frequently exchanging cashier’s checks until their amounts were small enough to cash without triggering reporting requirements.
Some of Davie’s victims reportedly had dementia or limited English skills and were less likely to understand banking transactions.
In one case, Davie took steps to prevent a relative from being able to monitor an account through fear of them detecting the banking discrepancies.
Davie then deposited some of the stolen money into an account under the name of a relative’s business.
Wells Fargo has already reimbursed victims for their losses.
Prosecutors are recommending a four-year prison sentence, however, the actual sentence will be determined by Judge Settle who will consider multiple statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Wells Fargo.
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