September 16th, 2009
Former bank employee charged with theft

STAFF REPORT

San Marcos police have arrested a former San Marcos bank employee and charged him with two counts of misapplying the fiduciary funds of an elderly person.

According to the arrest affidavit, Bruce Harper, 67, stole $22,475.26 from Mary Kay Williams, an elderly woman who went to him for help paying her basic bills.

Harper was an employee of American National Bank in 2004, when Williams approached him for help. Williams told police that she knew Harper for many years.

Williams then deposited $10,000 into an account at American National Bank in July 2004. Soon after, she obtained a reverse mortgage on her home for $92.665.01 and deposited those funds into her account. Then, she signed a batch of blank checks and handed them to Harper so he could use them to pay her bills.

By the end of 2004, Williams told police, she noticed that her account dwindled to less than $1,500 and she suspected Harper of stealing her money. Williams provided police with more than $32,000 of checks written out to Harper.

According to the affidavit, Harper told Eric Spriegel of the San Marcos Police Department (SMPD) that he borrowed $30,000 from Williams, with her consent, at an eight-percent interest rate. Harper told police that he paid Williams back $36,000. Harper told police that Williams never paid him for managing her finances.

Spriegel said in the affidavit that documents on Williams’ account and several of Harper’s bank accounts showed more than $52,000 of checks written out to Harper and in-branch cash withdrawals by Harper from Williams’ bank account. Spriegel also said numerous checks were written to Harper off Williams’ American Express, then listed in Harper’s account as “bookkeeping” or “work.” Those checks amounted to more than $19,000.

In total, according to the affidavit, Harper withdrew more than $72,250 from Williams’ account between August 2004 and October 2006, but he repaid only $49,774.74.