U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee | U.S. Department of Justice
A Texas man has admitted guilt in a case involving the theft of nearly $400,000 from a Maine couple. Kyle Lawless Pollar, 27, pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud in U.S. District Court in Bangor.
The incident came to light after the couple returned from vacation and discovered unauthorized transactions from their bank account. Unable to access their account initially, they requested a reset of their login details. Upon regaining access, they found several suspicious wire transfers.
The investigation revealed that in August 2022, an individual impersonated the account holder and made changes to the contact information associated with the bank account. This allowed multiple transfers from the victims' home equity line of credit to their savings account and then onwards to Pollar's Texas bank account. The total amount transferred was $360,880.
Additionally, $66,000 was sent to a jeweler in Texas. Pollar withdrew money through cash and cashier’s checks, which he deposited into other accounts under his name. Security footage confirmed these transactions.
Pollar could face up to 20 years imprisonment for each count and fines reaching $250,000 per count. He will also be required to pay restitution to the victims and may undergo up to three years of supervised release post-sentence.
The FBI led the investigation into this case.
