Man who defrauded local bank busted

A Pennsylvania man faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after a multi-county bank fraud spree was halted with his arrest in Edmond on Friday, authorities said.

Sean McCarrie, of Pennsylvania, was identified by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) as the primary suspect in a series of fraudulent bank withdrawals across southern and central Oklahoma last week, according to a statement from the Comanche Police Department.

The investigation began Tuesday, Nov. 18, when Comanche police were dispatched to a local bank after an individual used a counterfeit ID to withdraw an undisclosed amount of money from an existing account. Surveillance footage was sent to the OSBI in Duncan, where an analyst used facial recognition software to identify McCarrie.

The following day, Wednesday, Nov. 19, the same individual, wearing the same clothing, attempted another withdrawal from the same account at a bank in Lone Grove. That bank contacted Comanche police and provided additional video evidence.

On Friday, Nov. 21, McCarrie successfully withdrew money from a bank in Ardmore before attempting subsequent withdrawals in Norman and Edmond. He was apprehended by Edmond police at the Edmond bank.

Police recovered approximately 11 counterfeit IDs, all bearing McCarrie’s image but different names. The fraud is reportedly connected to two other suspects in New York state.

The Comanche Police Department has submitted two felony counts and one misdemeanor count to the Stephens County District Attorney’s Office. Authorities lauded the collaborative effort between the Comanche, Ardmore, and Edmond police departments, as well as the OSBI.

“He only had two names in his phone,” said David Hornbeck, Comanche police chief. “Both of those turned out to be from New York. We had a Pennsylvania guy with two New York phone numbers. There’s no telling how big this ring may have been.”

Hornbeck said these types of thieves like to hit small towns.

“They don’t think we have the technology or the manpower to catch them, but we have resources at our disposal we can use,” Hornbeck said.