Wells Fargo employee embezzled over $40,000 from ATMs!

Wells Fargo employee embezzled over $40,000 from ATMs!

On October 4, 2025, two former Wells Fargo employees were accused of stealing thousands of dollars from the bank's ATMs. This is reported by the Daily Hodl, which refers to new consent orders from a financial regulator.

The first person, Carolyn Hicks, was previously an operations assistant manager in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She is accused of embezzling around $25,000 from an ATM between January and February 2024. As a result of these allegations, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has banned Hicks from engaging in the business of insured banks, credit unions and depository institutions.

In detail: The allegations against the employees

The OCC also barred the authority of Walther Riano-Vanegas, a former cashier at the Wells Fargo branch in Linden, New Jersey. Riano-Vanegas is accused of withdrawing a total of approximately $15,670 from two ATMs between September 7, 2021 and December 23, 2021. During this time, he was in charge of the ATMs and admitted in an interview and in a written statement on January 31, 2022 that he took the missing cash.

Both Hicks and Riano-Vanegas agreed to the OCC's enforcement action without admitting or denying wrongdoing. This leaves the door open to possible further criminal action by other US authorities.

Reactions and consequences

The incidents come at a time when public trust in banks is becoming increasingly important. The OCC has therefore made it clear that the integrity of the banking system must be maintained. Such measures attempt to minimize potential harm and risks arising from criminal behavior.

The cases of Hicks and Riano-Vanegas highlight the challenges facing financial institutions and the need for stronger controls to prevent fraud within the banking industry.