Former Bank Employee in North Carolina Faces Embezzlement and Forgery Charges in North Carolina.

A former employee of the Fifth Third Bank in Lincolnton, NC has been arrested and charged with embezzlement and forgery after taking money from a customer’s account and blaming the fraud on another customer.
Jeffrey Dean Etchison, Jr, 33 years old, reportedly forged a savings account slip and withdrew about $2,000 from an elderly victim’s savings account. Ten days after the fraudulent withdrawal, the elderly customer reported that money had been stolen from his bank account, and the bank called police to investigate.
Etchison reportedly told police that another bank customer had made the illegal withdrawal. Investigators took surveillance footage and began investigating the false suspect. However, when police finally interviewed him, they determined that he was a witness and not the perpetrator.
After police brought Etchison in again for questioning, he reportedly admitted to the embezzlement and forgery.
He was arrested on Tuesday, September 2nd, for identity theft, embezzlement and forgery of an instrument, uttering a forged instrument, and obtaining property under false pretense. He was released from Lincolnton County Jail on a $25,000 bond.


Embezzlement Charges in South Carolina
Embezzlement refers to the theft of money or property by an individual who was trusted and responsible for handling the money or property of another party, a white-collar crime that commonly occurs in corporate settings.
Embezzlement cases are rarely clear-cut, as the accused are the ones expected to have handled the assets that were embezzled. Simple human error or oversights could lead to wrongful embezzlement.
For an individual to be convicted of embezzlement, the prosecution must prove:
1.     The defendant manipulated resources illegally
2.     The victim entrusted the defendant with these resources that were allegedly embezzled
3.     The defendant intended to deprive the owner of these resources
4.     The defendant acquired access to these resources through his/her employment.
Embezzlement charges carry severe penalties. The defendant risks ruining his reputation and loss of employment even if they are later found not guilty of the crime. Punishments for those convicted of embezzlement can include fines, imprisonment, probation, payment of compensation and loss of legal rights among other potential punishments.