Community Corner

Southington Woman Charged in Scheme to Steal Money from Bank Accounts

Police said Wednesday the woman was constantly moving funds between TD Bank customer accounts and skimming off the top en route to the theft of $175,000 over an 11-month period.

A Southington woman is facing various charges including first-degree larceny and computer crimes after police said she was involved in an ongoing scheme to steal money and transfer funds between TD Bank customer accounts in order to avoid detection.

Amanda Callahan, 31, was arraigned in Bristol Superior Court earlier this month after turning herself into the Southington Police Department on Oct. 5 when she learned there was an active warrant for her arrest.

Callahan, of 66 Stuart Drive in Southington, is facing charges of first-degree larceny, first-degree computer crimes and 92 counts of second-degree forgery according to police records and the state Judicial Branch website. She was released from custody after posting a $25,000 bond, according to court records.

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Sgt. Jeffrey Dobratz said this week that the arrest stems from an ongoing scheme between April 2011 and March 2012 when Callahan was working as a teller at TD Bank in Southington.

During this time, it was discovered that Callahan was allegedly operating a scheme in which money was taken from several accounts and then when issues were discovered, police said she would then move other funds to try and cover her tracks.

The alleged fraud operated similar to a ponzi scheme, according to the police report, with approximately $175,000 involved as a result of the constant transfers.

“It was found that she moved over monies between different accounts and was attempting to put the stolen funds back into the victims account,” Dobratz said. The reimbursements were made only as customers brought issues up.”

TD Bank’s fraud division discovered the alleged scheme, police said, and it was reported to detectives by both the fraud division and the victim on the same day.

Callahan has not entered any pleas for the charges and is due back in Bristol Superior Court on Oct. 24.

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