Arcata, California bank employee arrested on charges of embezzlement, elder abuse

A Northern Redwood Federal Credit Union employee was arrested Tuesday for allegedly embezzling more than $100,000. Elliot Shane McCarl, 32, of McKinleyville was booked into the Humboldt County jail on suspicion of embezzlement and elder abuse after an audit and an investigation was completed this week, according to an Arcata Police Department press release. The credit union first discovered discrepancies in the account balances of at least five customers around July 5, and immediately launched an audit and then notified APD on July 9, said Detective Sgt. Todd Dokweiler. McCarl allegedly transferred money from about five bank customer accounts to his personal account over a roughly one-year period. ”Typically, I think bank employees are trustworthy,” Dokweiler said, and it was other bank employees who noticed the discrepancies and looked into them. During the audit, the credit union went over all McCarl's transactions -- it appears that McCarl allegedly picked people who seemed “inattentive in their banking practices” or were elderly, Dokweiler said. McCarl has worked for the credit union for nearly three years, according to the APD. His bail was set at $119,000. The manager of Northern Redwood Federal Credit Union, which is located on Giuntoli Lane in Arcata, was unavailable for comment.Dokweiler said he was unsure if the bank would be investigated for the incident, but said such an investigation would not be through the APD.