TREVOSE, Pa., July 29 (UPI) -- A Pennsylvania man is facing charges after he spent more than $60,000 that was accidentally deposited into his bank account by the bank, his lawyer said.
Joseph Bucci, 22, of Trevose, had $35.46 in his Wells Fargo account on March 5 and $69,300 on March 6, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Saturday.
Over the next month, Bucci spent all but about $2,000 on a used car, a computer, a camera, clothes, furniture, and a dog, and giving loans to friends and family, lawyer Michael Parlow said Friday.
"He spent a majority of the money helping family and friends," Parlow said. "He lent money to a lot of people."
The money was actually meant to be moved from the account of a law office to the account for an estate, but a bank teller accidentally entered Bucci's account number while processing the deposit.
A Wells Fargo investigator reported the missing money and Bucci's transactions -- which included a $12,000 withdrawal, written checks, and purchases made with his debit card -- to Bensalem police on May 12 and Bucci was charged a week and a half later with two felony counts of theft of lost property and receiving stolen property
Bucci waived his preliminary hearing before District Judge Joseph Falcone on the condition that he apply to a program for first-time, non-violent offenders, Parlow said. To qualify for the program, Bucci must show that he can repay the money and that he has stayed out of trouble.
After completing the program, Bucci's record would be cleared.
If he is convicted of the felony charges, he faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
Bucci returned more than $14,000 by selling some of his purchases, including the car, and is working to repay the rest, Parlow said.
"He was a young, impressionable, naive, young kid," Parlow said, "who didn't realize the consequence of his actions."
