A Texas man has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $400,000 from a Maine couple while they were on vacation.
Kyle Lawless Pollar, 27, entered his plea to four counts of wire fraud Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Bangor, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
In August 2022, Pollar called the couple’s bank pretending to be the account holder and requested the account’s balance and updated the contact phone number, the U.S. attorney’s office said Tuesday. Shortly after, Pollar changed the contact email address as well.
Over a two-week period, Pollar made several transfers from the couple’s home equity line of credit to their savings account. Pollar then made four wire transfers totalling $360,880 to a Texas bank account in his name, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Pollar transferred $66,000 from one transfer to a jeweler, also in Texas.
The U.S. attorney’s office said that Pollar withdrew funds from his account in cash and cashier’s checks. He then deposited the cashier’s checks in other Texas bank accounts in his name.
He was captured on security camera making deposits and withdrawals, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
The couple discovered the theft when they returned from vacation and couldn’t log into their bank account. When the bank reset their username and password, they found multiple wire transfers on their statement.
The FBI began investigating in October 2022.
Pollar faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 for each of the four counts of wire fraud, as well as up to three years of supervised release. He also will be ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
