Missouri bank employee accused of stealing nearly $70,000 from elderly customer: Prosecutors

A Kansas City, Kansas, man is accused of stealing nearly $70,000 from an elderly customer while overseeing the man’s account at a Missouri bank in 2022, according to documents filed this week in Cass County court.

Former North American Savings Bank employee John S. Werner, 23, faces one felony charge of financial exploitation of an elderly person.

Police became aware of the alleged theft when Michael Liberman of Peculiar, Missouri, reached out directly to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. Liberman, 78, told officers that nearly $70,000 had vanished from his savings account at North American Savings Bank without explanation, according to court records.

Internal bank records later indicated that $68,224.16 had been stolen, court records state. Most of the withdrawals had been sent in smaller denominations through PayPal transactions, which Liberman told detectives he did not authorize or do himself.

The withdrawals took place between March 1 and Aug. 15, 2022, according to court documents. Bank records reviewed by police showed that Werner had opened inquiries into Liberman’s account on March 1 and March 2, court documents read.

In the weeks after obtaining access to Liberman’s account, Werner’s own account was credited with multiple deposits in the same amounts as the ones missing from Liberman’s, an internal investigation reviewed by Cass County authorities found.

A bank security officer told police that the bank had reimbursed Liberman and taken on the nearly $70,000 debt itself, according to court documents.

Headquartered in Grandview, North American Savings Bank has four branches in Kansas City. Additional branches operate in Lee’s Summit, Independence, Harrisonville, Excelsior Springs, Lexington, Platte City and St. Joseph.

Charging documents did not specify at which location Werner was employed, or for how long.

North American Savings Bank declined to comment Friday on the pending charges. The bank also declined to share details about the nature and length of Werner’s employment.

A $25,000 cash bond for Werner was issued Thursday. His first court date has not yet been set.