West St. Paul bank manager accused of stealing $640,000 from customer

A manager at a West St. Paul bank branch has been accused of stealing more than $640,000 from a customer's account, and she's suspected of victimizing others.

Cynthia Marie Van Dusartz, 55, of Eagan, was charged Tuesday in Dakota County District Court with four counts of theft by swindle in connection with a string of withdrawals from a customer's account dating to 2013.

Van Dusartz is listed as a vice president and bank manager on the website of St. Paul-based Anchor Bank. According to the criminal complaint filed against Van Dusartz, the customer called her Friday over concerns that up to $700,000 was missing from his account. The customer later told the bank that he dealt with her to do wire transfers and that she was also his "go-to" person for any problems.

After she assured the customer that she would look into the missing funds, Van Dusartz walked out of the bank, "failing to complete any of the duties she would normally complete before leaving per bank policy," the charges said.

A bank investigation revealed that Van Dusartz had opened an account under several other names, including that of her deceased sister, authorities said. The account began to match up with the victim's account, around the dates he said he began noticing suspicious transactions on his bank statements.

According to the charges, Van Dusartz transferred more than $640,000 from his account to the one she opened. A review of the account showed significant withdrawals at ATMs, Treasure Island Casino and casinos in Las Vegas.

A co-worker said Van Dusartz took her passport from a security deposit box before leaving on Friday. Police eventually reached her attorney, and Van Dusartz turned herself in on Saturday. She declined to give a statement.

When reached by phone Wednesday, Van Dusartz declined to comment.