East Meadow Man Gets 3 to 9 Years for Stealing More Than $1 Million from Bank Customers

Brahe used position as bank manager to make unauthorized withdrawals

MINEOLA, NY – Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that the former manager of a Carle Place bank has been sentenced by a Nassau County judge to 3 to 9 years in prison, after stealing more than $1,000,000 from low-activity bank accounts.

William Brahe, Jr., 44, of East Meadow, pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the First Degree in August 2008. Brahe must also make restitution in the amount of $1,078,400.

Rice said that between August 2001 and October 2007, Brahe served as the bank manager for the Carle Place branch of JP Morgan Chase Bank. During this time, Brahe conducted a series of unauthorized withdrawals from the accounts of at least seven different bank customers. Rice said that Brahe targeted customers with low-activity accounts in the hopes that his theft would go unnoticed. He placed the stolen money into phony business accounts he had opened to conceal the scheme. Brahe stole a total of $1,078,400. The theft was discovered when a customer reported more than $132,000 missing from his account.

“Mr. Brahe betrayed the trust of his employer and the trust of his costumers when he abused his position to fatten his own wallet,” Rice said. “He will now pay the penalty for his actions.”

Handling the case for the District Attorney’s Office is Assistant District Attorney and Deputy Bureau Chief of the Government & Consumer Frauds Bureau William Wallace. Brahe is being represented by Mark Baker, Esq.