CU Head Teller Confesses to Theft Via Text Message
Police continue search for Jorge Navarro who allegedly stole more than $100,000 from a credit union and may have fled to Mexico.
In the early morning hours of Monday, Sept. 10, then head teller for the $188 million URW Community Federal Credit Union in Danville, Va., sent a text to his supervisor.
His text read that he stole money from two branches and that he was sorry.
Since then, police have been searching for Jorge Omar Navarro Jr., 27, who worked at the credit union for 10 years.
Search warrants filed in Danville Circuit Court accuse Navarro of allegedly stealing more than $100,000 and replacing it with so-called Hollywood prop money, the Danville Register newspaper reported earlier this week.
“He did this on Friday (Sept. 7) and Saturday (Sept. 8),” Cheryl Doss, president/CEO of URW Community FCU, said when contacted by CU Times. “He texted his supervisor in the early hours of the morning on Monday, prior to any branch opening, and told her what he had done and that he was sorry.”
After the supervisor received that text, it was immediately reported to police and an investigation was launched, Doss said.
She noted Navarro might have fled to Mexico because he has family there.
Danville police reportedly said they have followed up on every lead. Some of them have come from local sources while others have come from out of the state, according to the local media.
Danville police did not respond to a CU Times request for comment.
The Danville Register reported that on Sept. 8 and Sept. 9, Navarro might have stayed at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Charlotte, Va.
Doss would not confirm the amount of money Navarro allegedly stole.
She noted the Hollywood prop money used by Navarro would be apparent to anyone that it is not real.
When Navarro’s Danville house — owned by his parents — was searched by police investigators, they found a roll of fake $1 bills, financial documents and money bands.
Hollywood prop money is used in films, TV shows, commercials, music videos and professional photo shoots, according to Downey-Calif.-based PropMovieMoney.com, which boasts that it has been rated by film industry professionals as the best prop money producer in the U.S.
Police ask anyone with information about this crime or Navarro’s location to call Danville Crime Stoppers at 434-793-0000, Danville Police Department at 434-799-6508 or email crimetips@danvilleva.gov. Information will remain confidential.