Carlos Bras, Elderly Theft, Rhode Island 2025

A shocking case of elderly theft has come to light in Rhode Island, with former bank employee Carlos Bras at the center of the scandal. Bras, 41, of East Providence, was charged in federal court with wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft after allegedly stealing over $125,000 from the bank account of a 78-year-old customer with dementia.

The victim, who resided in an assisted living facility in Massachusetts, had a court-appointed conservator. Bras, who was employed by Santander Bank at the time of the offense, had access to customer financial accounts and allegedly enabled online banking access to the victim’s account.

According to charging documents, Bras ordered checks sent to an address in Fall River and his own residence, and also ordered a debit card for his personal use. He is also accused of conducting numerous unauthorized transactions to his wife’s account, and several large wire transfers to a Portuguese bank account in her name.

Bank security footage showed that the individuals in Bras’ office at the time of the transfers were not the victim. Bras initially denied knowing the victim but later claimed he had assisted him with in-branch transactions. He also did not disclose that his wife was the recipient of the wire transfers until confronted.

The case was referred to Seekonk Police Department and subsequently picked up by the United States Secret Service. Through the federal investigation, a contract purporting for the sale of a property in Portugal was discovered, allegedly signed by Bras and the victim.

The victim’s conservator stated he was unaware of any such real estate contract, that the signature on the document did not match the victim’s, and that the address listed for the victim was incorrect.

A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney G. Michael Seaman.

The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Seekonk Police Department. Bras appeared in federal court on October 23, 2025, and charged by way of criminal complaint. The case will now proceed to trial, where Bras will face the charges against him.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri/pr/former-bank-employee-charged-stealing-more-125000-elderly-customer-dementia