Police accuse Parks Township man of stealing thousands from relatives' bank account
A Parks Township man is accused of stealing more than $9,000 from his parents’ bank account, police said.
Brandon Watterson, 52, was charged via summons Friday by state police with six felony counts, including theft, theft by deception and access device fraud.
Watterson faces a preliminary hearing March 28 before District Judge James Andring, court records show.
According to a criminal complaint, Watterson used a cash application and PayPal-linked account on his cellphone to access his mother’s and stepfather’s bank account.
The couple told police Watterson was granted permission to link to their account for a one-time use, and Watterson told them he would immediately delete the linked account after a particular purchase was complete, the complaint said.
The couple said they later discovered their bank account balance was only $3, and bank officials notified them of multiple transfers from the account, the complaint said.
According to police, bank statements dating back to Nov. 14 show multiple money transfers made by Watterson through the cash app and PayPal.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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