A former bank employee has been charged with stealing nearly $1 million from a customer’s account and using it to fund side businesses, real estate transactions and cover personal expenses, according to Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw.
Agha Hasan, 41, was charged with theft by deception in the second degree, computer criminal activity in the second degree, misapplication of entrusted property in the second degree, three counts of failure to file New Jersey tax returns in the third degree, five counts of failure to pay income tax in the third degree, and two counts of filing false returns in the third degree, according to a release through the prosecutor’s office.
Hasan is alleged to have stolen $998,188 from the customer over a period of six years. He was taken into custody on July 9 at his residence in Bordentown Township and lodged in the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly pending a detention hearing in Superior Court. The case will be prepared for presentation to a grand jury for possible indictment.
The investigation began last year after fraud investigators for Santander Bank contacted law enforcement about questionable transactions conducted and overseen by Hasan, who had recently been terminated from his position at the Mount Holly branch office, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The investigation revealed that Hasan, who had been employed by the bank since 2014, befriended the customer and gained his trust by offering to help with bill paying.
The investigation further revealed that as the relationship with the customer progressed, Hasan began to visit the customer’s residence and obtain blank checks that the customer had signed, as well as have the customer approve wire transfers. Hasan also used the customer’s account to make significant cash withdrawals and disbursements, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The transactions illegally conducted by Hasan utilizing the customer’s funds went toward personal expenses and business ventures in which he had an interest, including the management and operation of gas stations, car washes and convenience markets. The money was also used to broker and finance real estate transactions, as well as to operate a consulting business, Delval Consultants, LLC.
The investigation was conducted by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office (BCPO) Financial Crimes Unit, the New Jersey Department of Treasury – specifically, the Division of Taxation’s Office of Criminal Investigation, and the City of Burlington Police Department. The lead investigator is BCPO Detective Ian Boltz.
