Bucks County Man Allegedly Spent Thousands Mistakenly Deposited Into His Bank Account
By Todd Quinones
BENSALEM, Pa. (CBS) -- What would you do if your bank mistakenly transferred tens of thousands of dollars into your account?
It happened to a Bucks County man, and now the bank wants the money back. But there's just one problem.
Twenty-two-year-old Joseph Bucci, of Feasterville, turned himself into police in Bensalem on Tuesday.
He recently took a trip to Florida, helped out his struggling family and bought a dog—Mac, a 4-month-old golden retriever—for $600.
But the money Bucci used to buy all of this wasn't his, and neither was the money he says he used to by a used Pontiac.
One day, Bucci says he discovered an extra $69,300 is his Wells Fargo bank account--an account that previously had about $40 in it.
"There was a sense of wow…just look at it for a while," Bucci says.
The money was mistakenly put into his account in March by the bank, according to Bensalem police.
"Simply having money put into your account accidently doesn't exclude you from the law," one policeman says.
A couple of weeks after the money was put into his account, Bucci started spending it--a lot of it. By his accounts, it was around $45,000, although police say it was closer to $67,000.
It took the bank a couple of weeks before police say officials noticed the mistake.
Bucci is now being charged with two felonies, theft of property lost and receiving stolen property.
"I knew it was going to catch up to me… just didn't know it was going to be this bad," Bucci says.
He says he took a vacation to Orlando, and police contend he bought furniture, food, clothes and gas.
And Bucci also says he helped out his brothers and grandmother pay their bills, loans and the mortgage.
His mom says her son is a good kid who made a mistake.
"It's my fault…shouldn't have started using it…but it felt good helping everybody.." Bucci says.
Calls to Wells Fargo for comment were not returned.
Bucci says he's looking for a job and plans to try and repay the money mistakenly put in his account.
