Couple Arrested After Spending $120,000 Mistakenly Deposited In Their Account

If you've ever wondered what you would do if a pot of money inexplicably showed up in your bank account, one couple's woes following an unexpected windfall provides a useful lesson: First, contact your bank. 

Robert and Tiffany Williams of Montoursville, Pennsylvania, in May reportedly received an unexpected deposit of more than $120,000, the result of a BB&T bank teller's mistake, according to the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, a Pennsylvania newspaper. The money was supposed to have been deposited to an investment firm.

Rather than checking with the bank on the nature of the deposit, the pair allegedly spent more than $100,000 on a number of household items, including a SUV, four-wheelers, a camper and a race car. They also are said to have spent money on their bills and $15,000 to help friends, the publication said. Once the bank caught the error in June, it withdrew the funds from the Williams' account. That triggered an overdraft, since the couple had already spent most of the money. 

Before the funds had mistakenly been deposited, the couple had $1,121 in their account, according to the publication.

Pennsylvania state trooper Aaron Brown told the publication that Tiffany Williams "told the bank her husband had spent a great portion of the funds and purchased a four-wheeler. She said she would speak to her husband and attempt to construct a repayment agreement." But then the couple allegedly stopped responding to the bank. 

The couple was arrested on charges of theft and receiving stolen property, the newspaper said. The Pennsylvania State Police didn't immediately return requests for comment.

First published on September 9, 2019 / 12:23 PM

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