Ex-bank manager accused of stealing $1M from customers

BATTLE GROUND, Wash. (AP) — A former southwestern Washington bank manager is accused of stealing more than $1 million from vulnerable customers.

The Columbian reports Brian Davie, 43, was arrested Friday in Yakima on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office statement.

The Department of Justice said while Davie was a branch manager at a Wells Fargo in Battle Ground, Washington, he made unauthorized cash withdrawals and money transfers and forged cashier’s checks. Investigators said eight victims include one woman who had over $546,000 stolen from her retirement accounts, according to the statement.

Davie worked at the Battle Ground bank from 2014 until he was fired in 2019, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

It wasn’t immediately known if he has a lawyer to comment for him.

He allegedly used his access to customer files to forge signatures on cashier’s checks, withdrawal slips and other bank forms, the criminal complaint states.

Davie’s alleged theft went undetected because investigators say he targeted elderly customers who were less likely to check their accounts frequently. Some of the people he allegedly stole from had dementia or limited English skills, according to the DOJ. He’s also accused of failing to file the paperwork making one of the victim’s relatives a co-signer on their accounts, which prevented the relative from seeing the victim’s accounts and the fraud.

Wells Fargo reimbursed the victims for their loss, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.