Former Seneca banker arrested

 

Here is announcement this afternoon from the Seneca police chief, Casey Bowling:

 

“In late 2013, Seneca Police received a report of money missing from a bank account that was held at Bank of America. The victim reported approximately $30000 missing. He contacted the branch as well as the Customer Service department by phone. Over the next several weeks, Seneca Police investigators worked in conjunction with Bank of America investigators, and it was determined that an employee – who had since been suspended and ultimately terminated – had taken money from multiple individuals who lived in Oconee County. The common theme among the victims was that they used the banking center in Seneca as their primary branch and they used Bobbi Cortese – the arrestee – as their personal banker.  Seneca Police investigators, with the help of the United States Secret Service, then spent the next several years conducting further interviews and pursuing investigatory measures and giving Bank of America time to complete its internal investigation. Ultimately, 4 individuals were identified as having been victimized by Cortese who used her position at the bank to take nearly $300000 of the victims’ money. Some of the victims had money in their bank accounts as the result of life insurance payouts pursuant to the deaths of their spouses. Other victims had a lifetime of earnings that would be used to fund their retirement.  Cortese opened accounts in victims’ names without their knowledge or consent and did a “shell game” using funds from one victim to replace funds that she had taken from another victim. Further investigation revealed that Cortese forged several documents and issued those documents to the victims to conceal the theft. These acts occurred over the course of approximately 4 years – all of which while Cortese was employed. Cortese is charged with 4 counts of Breach of Trust (one for each victim) and 2 counts of Forgery (one for each forged document that she presented to a victim)”.

Oconee Detention Center records list Bobbi Marie Cortese as a 47-year old Pendleton resident and her arrest date as early Saturday morning.