Little Rock, Arkansas – A former employee of Simmons Bank now faces multiple charges related to fraud and theft. Prosecutors assert that Susan E. Ross, a 37-year-old resident of Mountain View, allegedly embezzled approximately $30,000 from seven elderly customers.
Following a careful examination of the evidence presented, a judge determined that there was sufficient cause to proceed with legal action. Ross has been charged with 29 counts of non-financial identity fraud and seven counts of theft of property.
The investigation was set in motion after one of the victims contacted Simmons Bank on October 14, 2022, to report unauthorized withdrawals from her account. Promptly responding to the complaint, the bank initiated an internal investigation to ascertain the truth behind the allegations.
Subsequent findings revealed that Ross, who was employed at Simmons Bank from August 30, 2021, until her resignation on October 6, 2022, had allegedly conducted unauthorized cash withdrawals from multiple customer accounts. The total sum involved amounted to $28,120, according to court documents.
The victims affected by these unlawful actions, spanning a wide age range from 80 to 93 years old, were predominantly individuals with high balance accounts. The court documents note that such elderly customers typically do not monitor their accounts as frequently as others.
During the course of the investigation, video footage of certain transactions was scrutinized, leading investigators to observe that none of the victims were physically present during these occurrences, further strengthening the case against Ross.
Simmons Bank promptly contacted all of the victims and took immediate steps to rectify their accounts. Regrettably, some of the affected account holders chose to close their accounts in the aftermath of the theft and subsequent repayment, resulting in the loss of customers for the bank, as stated in the court documents.
In light of the evidence gathered, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Susan E. Ross. On Thursday, July 13, she was taken into custody and subsequently released on a $25,000 bond approximately one hour later.
This case serves as a reminder of the vulnerability of elderly individuals to financial crimes and emphasizes the importance of implementing robust safeguards to protect their assets.
