Bank manager stole $175K from customers then paid debts and bought motorcycle, feds say

A woman accused of stealing more than $175,000 from Commerce Bank customer accounts while working as a branch manager in Missouri has been sentenced, authorities said.

Andrea Nicole Hopkins, 29, is ordered to serve 18 months in federal prison, according to a May 8 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri. She’s also ordered to pay $175,842 in restitution.

Authorities said Hopkins, from Florissant, actually took $328,273 from 15 customer accounts while working at a St. Louis branch. But to “hide her theft,” she transferred or “reimbursed” $152,431 to customers who had already been stolen from, according to court records.

That left her with $175,842, which authorities said Hopkins used to pay debts, buy a motorcycle and pay for other personal living expenses.

The defense attorneys representing Hopkins did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on May 9.

Hopkins pleaded guilty to four counts of felony bank fraud in January, McClatchy News reported. She admitted she stole from customers from about February 2020 through May 2021.

“She targeted elderly customers, knowing that some had a diminished capacity to understand their financial affairs,” authorities said. The victims included a 95-year-old customer, an 82-year-old and two 80-year-olds.

Authorities said she stole from the customers by logging into their bank accounts and transferring funds with cashier’s checks and prepaid cards.

“She changed the address on some account statements, forged signatures and transferred funds among customers to try and hide the thefts,” officials said.

She also “provided false explanations to other Commerce Bank employees regarding customers who had reported fraudulent transactions,” according to the plea agreement.

Commerce Bank has repaid the customers, according to federal authorities.

“Commerce Bank understands and appreciates the level of trust our customers place in us, and we do not take the protection of their accounts lightly,” Darryl Collins, executive vice president with Commerce Bank, said in a May 10 statement to McClatchy News. “When our internal controls uncovered suspicious activity, we conducted a thorough investigation, engaged and collaborated with law enforcement, and worked with our customers to address the situation.”

This story was originally published May 9, 2023 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Bank manager stole $175K from customers then paid debts and bought motorcycle, feds say."