Fraud Friday – Bank Manager Steals $1 Million From Customer with Dementia

February 5, 2021

Caity Roach
Editor

Fraud Friday – Bank Manager Steals $1 Million From Customer with Dementia

Former Comerica Bank branch manager, Marie Fulle, was recently sentenced to nearly three and a half years in federal prison for stealing more than $1 million from an elderly customer with dementia. Fulle primarily used the stolen funds to pay off her Fantasy Sports gambling debts. However, she also spent a portion of the funds on gambling trips in Las Vegas, Tiffany jewelry, designer handbags, fine dining, and spa days.

While serving as a branch manager of a Comerica Bank in Southern California, Fulle cultivated an exclusive banking relationship with an elderly customer who had dementia. From February 2013 to April 2014, Fulle opened various bank accounts with the victim and used those accounts to create a confusing web in which she could hide unauthorized transfers.

When Fulle first began defrauding the bank customer, she attempted to hide her transactions by taking $43,400 over the course of six transactions. However, when Fulle lost an anticipated promotion at work in May 2013, she began embezzling larger amounts of the victim’s money. To hide the transactions from the customer’s bookkeeper, Fulle unilaterally changed the address associated with one of the customer’s accounts, which prevented the bank statements from being delivered.

Comerica Bank fired Fulle in April 2014 for embezzling money from her cash drawer. Shortly after she was fired, Comerica discovered  Fulle’s fraud scheme and immediately made reparations to the victim. In total, Fulle’s scheme caused the victim a total loss of $1,057,230 plus interest and attorneys’ fees. 

Fulle pleaded guilty in September 2019 to two counts of bank fraud. However, the coronavirus pandemic delayed her sentencing. On January 25, 2021, Fulle was sentenced via videoconference to 41 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,091,230 in restitution.

Sources:
Criminal Complaint
Department of Justice
Unsplash – David Vives (image)