Bank Employee Accused of Stealing $374K from Elderly Customers

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has accused a bank employee of unauthorized transfers from customers' accounts to pay for her husband's expenses. Truist Bank employee Danielle Solomon is alleged to have made two Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfers totaling $21,618 from an elderly customer's account to pay her husband Jesse's Citibank credit card debt.

The FDIC's formal enforcement action against Danielle alleges that she also initiated other unauthorized transactions. On February 10th of 2021, she allegedly accessed another elderly customer's account and wired out $230,000 to the Polk County Clerk of Courts without authorization. The funds were used to fund a bidding account for back tax properties in the name of Jesse Solomon in Polk County, Florida.

On January 27th of 2020, Danielle made a wire transfer of $108,000 from J.L.'s account to a pass-through account. About $107,960 was later moved from the pass-through account to her husband's E*TRADE Bank account. Additionally, five ACH transactions of $14,450 were done from J.L.'s account between June 8th of 2020 and January 4th of 2021 to pay her husband's Citibank credit card balances.

Transactions linked to J.L.'s account allegedly continued even after the bank fired Danielle. On March 12, 2021, she deposited $21,618.31 into J.H.'s account. On April 7, 2021, a check deposit of $232,548.36 was attempted from J.H.'s own Merrill Lynch account into J.H.'s account at the Haines City branch of the Bank.

The FDIC alleges that Danielle caused Truist Bank a total loss of $374,068. The regulator is seeking to compel her to pay $352,450 in restitution and ban her from working in the banking industry without prior regulatory approval. Danielle has 20 days to respond to the enforcement action and request a hearing.