A former Santander Bank employee in Mount Holly has been charged with stealing nearly $1 million from a customer and using the money to pay for personal expenses and business ventures, Burlington County prosecutors said.
Agha Hasan, 41, of Bordentown, drew the attention investigators last year when Santander Bank's fraud unit contacted police about suspicious transactions on an account at the Mount Holly branch. Hassan recently had been fired from the bank, investigators said.
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Hasan, who had worked for Santander since 2014, allegedly gained the trust of a bank customer by offering to help with bill payments, authorities said. As they became friends, Hasan was invited to the customer's house and allegedly obtained blank checks that the customer had signed. Hasan also had the customer approve wire transfers and used the account to make withdrawals and disbursements, investigators said.
Hasan allegedly stole $998,188 from the account and used it to pay for his business interests, including the management and operation of gas stations, car washes and convenience stores. Some of the money allegedly was used to broker and finance real estate transactions and to operate a consultant business, authorities said.
Hasan is charged with theft by deception, computer criminal activity, misapplication of entrusted property and multiple offenses stemming from his alleged failure to pay taxes. He was arrested at his home Tuesday morning and sent to the Burlington County Jail pending a detention hearing in Superior Court. The case will be presented to a grand jury for possible indictment.