A 36-year-old man from Portland has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for embezzling more than $426,000 from an individual with intellectual disabilities. Clinton Wells received his sentence on Thursday, which includes three years of supervised release and an order to pay $426,481.14 in restitution to his victim, as reported by the Oregon U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Court documents reveal that from March 2019 to April 2022, Wells exploited the victim’s personal identification and bank account details to steal their life savings. He first encountered the victim while employed at a national tax preparation firm on March 13, 2019. Shortly thereafter, he gained access to their sensitive personal and financial information and began transferring funds from the victim’s bank account to his own.
By April 2019, Wells had established a user profile within the victim’s online banking system, enabling him to execute over 1,100 transactions for online purchases, personal expenses, and luxury trips. His fraudulent activities went unnoticed until after the victim’s death, when family members discovered unopened bank statements revealing the unauthorized transactions.
The scale of Wells’ fraudulent activity is significant, with over $426,000 stolen through more than 1,100 transactions. Wells gained the victim’s trust while working at a tax preparation firm. This demonstrates how individuals in positions of trust can exploit their access to sensitive information for personal gain.
On February 13, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted Wells on six counts, including bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He ultimately pleaded guilty to one count each of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in October of the same year. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the IRS, and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
