Carpentersville man arrested after Des Plaines bank scammed out of $20,000, police say
A Carpentersville man accused of scamming a Des Plaines bank out of more than $20,000 was arrested this week after trying to open an account at a different bank, police said.
Robert Krilich, 57, of the 6000 block of Sanders Court, is charged with forgery, fraud against a financial institution, aggravated identity theft against a person 60 years of age or older, and having a fraudulent identification card.
The scam began Sept. 5, when Krilich used fake ID, including a Nevada driver's license, to open a savings account at Village Bank and Trust, 1545 Ellinwood Ave., police said in a news release. Krilich also deposited four savings bonds, two of which the bank later learned were bogus, police said.
In October, the bank discovered the account was overdrawn by more than $20,000, leading to an internal investigation that uncovered the bogus bonds and the use of fake ID, police said.
The information on the documents Krilich used, including a Social Security number connected to a 61-year-old Florida man who said he's never had a Nevada driver's license and didn't authorize anyone to open a bank account in his name, police reported.
Village Bank and Trust is a subsidiary of Wintrust Bank. This past Saturday, Krilich visited a Wintrust Bank in Chicago and tried to open an additional account, police said.
An employee recognized Krilich from an internal flyer about the fraud in Des Plaines and asked him to return Monday. The bank then notified police.
Des Plaines police arrested Krilich on Monday when he returned to the Chicago bank and tried to open a checking account using a different fraudulent name, according to the news release.
Krilich subsequently told detectives he had used out-of-state ID cards and documents to open bank accounts, and he admitted defrauding the Des Plaines bank, authorities said.
A Cook County judge on Tuesday set Krilich's bail at $100,000. Krilich didn't appear at the hearing because of a medical issue, authorities said.
A status hearing is scheduled for Friday morning.