Last week, a former bank teller was charged with stealing over $18,000 from a 96-year-old man in an assisted living home, Action News 5 reports. The suspect, 21-year-old Demeries Brooks, is accused of financial exploitation of an elderly person, identity theft, and theft of property, according to the Memphis Police Department. His arrest came after a power of attorney filed a complaint on behalf of the nonagenarian, highlighting suspicious address changes and unauthorized transactions on his bank accounts.

In a detailed investigation, it emerged that Brooks had allegedly performed multiple transactions using CashApp and even leased a Toyota Camry under his name using the victim's funds, as stated in an article by WREG News Channel 3. With the exploitation taking place between August and October 2023, bank statements for the corresponding months had gone missing, prompting the initiation of the police report on October 13, 2023.

Further examination of the bank statements and surveillance footage by investigators revealed additional cash withdrawals, with Brooks being caught on camera at a local Kroger, as per MSN. The bank, Regions Bank, has also confirmed Brooks' former employment as a teller and assured cooperation with law enforcement.

Police investigations linked numerous transactions to a card that had been linked to illegally issued under the account of the elderly victim. Brooks, who is now booked into jail as of April 30, 2024, faces serious charges. Regions Bank has also confirmed that the affected customer was fully reimbursed for the stolen amount, issuing a statement that, “We deeply value the trust our customers place in us. The former associate is no longer with the bank,” reported MSN.