EBENSBURG – Police are investigating a fraud and identity theft case in which the suspect is accused of opening bank accounts at S&T Bank and applying for loans under someone else’s name.
According to a criminal complaint, Jacob Gunther, 40, of New York City, is charged with theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, forgery and identity theft.
Police said Gunther entered an S&T Bank branch on Main Street in Gallitzin on March 22 and opened two bank accounts, a checking account with $40 in cash and a savings account with $20 in cash, under the victim's name.
After leaving the branch, Gunther called a personal banker and requested a $40,000 personal loan under the victim's name for “medical expenses and health care costs for someone in a nursing home,” police said.
A representative from S&T called Gunther on March 24 to inform him that his loan request had been approved.
Gunther received a treasurer’s check for $40,000 payable to under the victim's name on March 25. Gunther deposited $25,000 into the checking account that he opened and took $15,000 in cash.
The victim, who is from Connecticut, called the bank on Monday, concerned about a hit to his credit report from S&T Bank. The victim sent a copy of his driver’s license to prove that he was not the individual who got the loan, according to a criminal complaint.
Police were called Tuesday to the S&T Bank branch in Gallitzin after learning that a man claiming to be the victim was in the bank attempting to cash out the remaining money. The man left the bank before police arrived.
Police later stopped a vehicle with three people inside, including Gunther in the back seat. All three were taken into custody and taken to state police in Ebensburg.
Nathaniel Graham, 25, of the Bronx, New York, and Anthony Sass, 25, of New York City, are also charged with theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, forgery, and identity theft, police said.
Graham, who was a passenger in the vehicle, admitted to knowing why they were driving to Pennsylvania. He said Gunther told him that he would be compensated for driving him down to pick up the remaining money that was still in the account that he opened, a criminal complaint said.
Gunther was interviewed by police and said he was put up to it by Sass and Graham. He said he was told to do what he did and his life was threatened if he didn't.
All three men are in the Cambria County Prison. Their preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 4.
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