Tax worker steals life savings from Oregon man who ‘lived more than frugally,’ feds say
An older man who “lived more than frugally” had his life savings stolen by a receptionist he met when he visited H&R Block for help with his taxes, federal prosecutors said.
Now, the receptionist is going to prison.
The man spent most of his career washing dishes at a hospital in Portland, Oregon, after he was discharged from the military, according to prosecutors. They described him as having an intellectual disability and wrote in court documents that he was discharged “for an unspecified mental handicap.”
“He lived on bread, peanut butter and meals provided at the hospital,” a victim impact statement quoted by prosecutors says. “He walked to work, had no car, no spouse, and no children.”
Clinton Wells, the H&R Block employee, gained access to the man’s personal and banking information and started stealing from him March 14, 2019, the day after they met, according to prosecutors.
The family of the man, Gary Lowry, discovered the theft following Lowry’s death in May 2022, The Oregonian reported. Lowry was 71 when he died of a stroke.
From March 2019 to April 2022, Wells stole more than $426,000 from Lowry and spent the money on “extravagant trips, personal expenses and online purchases,” prosecutors said.
Wells, 36, of Portland, was sentenced to three years in federal prison Feb. 27 on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
He pleaded guilty to the charges Oct. 30, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Wells’ federal public defender didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment Feb. 28.
Jonathan Lowry, Gary Lowry’s nephew who lives in Texas, spoke at Wells’ sentencing after making a trip to the federal courthouse in Portland, according to The Oregonian. Jonathan Lowry sought justice for his uncle, who he said had high-functioning autism.
Wells kept “taking and taking what wasn’t his to take,” Jonathan Lowry said, the newspaper reported.
‘Shamelessly stealing’
When Gary Lowry’s family was cleaning his apartment after his stroke, they found piles of unopened bank statements, revealing Wells stole from him, according to prosecutors.
“At the time of (Gary Lowry’s) death, Wells had drained (his) bank account so there was ‘no money to pay his physicians, his hospital and nursing home stays, his overdue rent, his utility bills, or his burial expenses,’” prosecutors wrote in the sentencing memorandum, quoting the victim impact statement.
In April 2019, Wells created an online banking profile for Gary Lowry and carried out more than 1,100 electric money transfers and online purchases using his money, according to prosecutors.
Gary Lowry didn’t have access to his online banking system, as he didn’t have a phone or computer, prosecutors wrote in the sentencing memorandum.
A federal grand jury indicted Wells on six counts of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft Feb. 13, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Ahead of sentencing, prosecutors argued in support of a “lengthy sentence” for Wells to “deter others from committing similar crimes,” the sentencing memorandum shows.
They sought a 34-month sentence, before the judge handed Wells a 36-month sentence.
“Given the nature of the offense — shamelessly stealing from an elderly handicapped man — general deterrence is key,” prosecutors wrote in the filing.
The judge also ordered Wells to pay $426,481.14 in restitution to a victim identified in court records, according to prosecutors.
Wells said he was “deeply apologetic” at sentencing, and couldn’t provide an answer to the judge who asked why he continued stealing from Gary Lowry, The Oregonian reported.
“I truly do not know,” Wells said.
H&R Block didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment Feb. 28.
Suspected financial fraud against individuals 60 and older can be reported to the Justice Department’s National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-372-8311.
Fraud complaints can also be reported online to the Federal Trade Commission.
This story was originally published February 28, 2025 at 11:56 AM with the headline "Tax worker steals life savings from Oregon man who ‘lived more than frugally,’ feds say."
.jpg)