Credit Union Fraudster 'Doing a Pretty Good Job' Not Getting Caught

A serial fraudster with chameleon-like qualities and a sense of humor, who has cashed more than $125,000 in phony checks at credit unions, has been able to evade capture by Utah police investigators for eight months.

“I’ve been in law enforcement for 25 years and I’ve seen some pretty good criminals over the years. I would say this one is one of the smarter suspects and he’s doing a pretty good job by not getting caught so far,” Detective Darren Paul, a fraud investigator of the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake City, said.

Nevertheless, Det. Paul is confident he will catch the suspect, William Branstiter, because no matter how clever criminal are, they all make mistakes. Police have issued bulletins about the suspect to all financial institutions in the state and a local judge has ordered a no-bail warrant for Branstiter’s arrest.

“At this point every credit union and every police officer in the Wasatch Front in north-central Utah knows who he is,” he said. “We just can’t seem to get our fingers on him.”

Since Oct. 30, 2020, Branstiter, 45, of Salt Lake City, has stolen $125,000 using more than 50 counterfeit checks at credit unions throughout Utah. The $12.9 billion Mountain America Federal Credit Union based in Sandy has suffered the most significant amount of financial loss, according to police. Branstiter also has hit the $15.6 billion America First Credit Union based in Riverdale, the $1.4 billion Cyprus Federal Credit Union based in West Jordan, and the $913 million Deseret First Federal Credit Union based in West Valley City. He also has victimized Zions Bank based in Salt Lake City.

Det. Paul said Branstiter has been able to stay ahead of police because he uses a new identification every two to three days. Police believe the suspect is buying the personal identification information, including, date of birth, Social Security and bank account numbers, from the dark web.

“He always dresses up,” Det. Paul said. “He usually has a nice button up collared shirt on, and he most recently wore a white shirt and tie. Sometimes, he’ll wear glasses. He just looks like any other Joe Schmoe, which is why I think he’s so successful.”

Branstiter typically uses the credit union’s drive thru to cash his fake checks and amusingly uses a COVID mask to cover his tracks.

“Using the drive-thru is kind of his signature thing as he likes to put a COVID mask over the car’s back plate,” Det. Paul said. “And that’s another thing, he switches cars every three to four days. Some of them are rentals and some of them have been from (unsuspecting) family members.”

There is also no set pattern as to when and where he prefers to commit his crimes. Sometimes, Branstiter will hit credit unions in a county north of Salt Lake and on the same day he’ll travel to a county south of Salt Lake.

“He’s gone as far south as St. George, Utah, which is nearby Vegas, and he’s gone as far north as Logan, which is two hours north of Salt Lake,” he said. “So he’s going all over the state pretty much up and down the I-15 corridor. He also switches hotels every two to three days, which makes it harder to track him down.”

According to police, this is not Branstiter’s first rodeo.

In 2005, he was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison after being convicted on multiple felony counts of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He also was ordered to make restitution of more than $14,000, according to federal court filings in Utah.  And in 2011, he was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison on several bank fraud and aggravated ID theft charges. No restitution was ordered in that case.