A Pennsylvania couple who found $120,000 in their account due to a bank error and then went on a shopping spree have been charged with a felony, according to state police.
It all started in May, when BB&T, a bank holding company, accidentally deposited the money into a joint account belonging to Montoursville couple Robert and Tiffany Williams.
Despite later admitting to police they knew the money did not belong to them, the couple quickly got to spending it. They allegedly bought several vehicles, including a race car, an all-terrain vehicle, a camper van, and a car trailer.
They also paid off bills, made car repairs, doled out money to friends, and made "random cash purchases," according to a police report.
When BB&T realized the error less than three weeks later, the bank pulled the money from the couple's account and deposited it in the right one, which belonged to an investment firm, the Williamsport Sun-Gazette reported. By then, the couple had already spent more than $100,000 of the accidental deposit, police said.
After being notified that she and her husband were responsible for paying it back, Tiffany reportedly told the bank they had already spent it, but that "she would speak to her husband and attempt to construct a repayment agreement," State Trooper Aaron Brown told the Sun-Gazette. The Williamses, however, "failed to follow through with the bank to rectify the situation," the police report states.
After making several attempts to reach the couple, BB&T reported the incident to the police.
On Tuesday, the Williamses were arraigned on felony charges of theft and receiving stolen property. They were released on bail.
Robert Williams declined to comment to BuzzFeed News on the charges. A spokesperson for the Lycoming County Public Defender's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
BB&T spokesperson Brian Davis told BuzzFeed News he could not comment specifically on the incident due to client privacy rules.
"We’re also continuously working to enhance our client service and operating procedures to provide the best client experience possible," he added.