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Police: New York man used York County couple's identity to withdraw $10,000 from their bank account

Anthony Spinelli, 47, is currently being held in Lancaster County Prison after being charged for a similar crime in East Hempfield Township, police claim.

YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Police in York County have charged a New York man with using a stolen identity to withdraw $10,000 from an elderly Manchester Township couple's account.

Anthony Joseph Spinelli, 47, originally of Staten Island, is also facing charges of a similar nature in Lancaster County, according to Northern York Regional Police, who investigated the case.

Spinelli is currently in Lancaster County Prison, where he is awaiting trial on the other charges, police said.

The victims in Manchester Township reported the alleged theft to authorities on January 22, when they noticed $10,000 had been withdrawn from their account at a Northwest Bank branch in Greece, NY on December 22, 2023 -- three days after the victims had made a deposit at a Northwest branch in York. 

The couple said they did not authorize the withdrawals, which were made in the amounts of $7,500 and $2,500 in separate transactions, according to police. Neither of the victims were in New York at the time of the withdrawals, which were made using the identification and account information of the male victim, police said.

Investigators obtained surveillance footage from Northwest's fraud investigation team from the transactions in Greece, NY. The images showed a white male, approximately 50 years of age, making the withdrawals. The male victim is 74 years old and was clearly not the man in the photos, police said.

The photos of the suspect were run through a facial recognition program, which provided a potential match for Spinelli, according to police.

Investigators checked Spinelli's criminal records and found he was currently charged with a similar offense in East Hempfield Township, Lancaster County. After consulting with police in that jurisdiction, investigators learned that some details from that case were similar to the ones in York County, according to police.

Investigators also learned Spinelli was still being held in Lancaster County Prison, and spoke to him there.

While he was initially hesitant to talk to investigators, Spinelli eventually admitted to being the man in the surveillance photos and that he had made the withdrawals in the victim's name. He provided other details to investigators on how he committed the alleged acts, according to police.

Investigators have charged him with identity theft, access device fraud, possession of access device, theft, and receiving stolen property, according to the complaint.

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