Enid banker, civic leader accused of embezzling
Ernst Currier, a longtime Enid banker who’s a former mayor and who served until recently on the board of education for Enid Public Schools, was arrested Tuesday on 33 felony complaints tied to accusations he made dozens of fraudulent loans.
Currier, who served as the city’s mayor from 2004 through 2007, is accused of creating the loans through his position as a loan officer and then as a senior vice president at Security National Bank.
An affidavit states that Currier obtained information he needed to open the fraudulent loans through his position at the bank, and also through his activities at a local Baptist church and through his role as a community leader.
The bank discovered at least some of the problem loans earlier this year, according to an affidavit filed as part of the case. During the first week of September, three individuals contacted the Enid Police Department to report they had
been contacted by the bank about loans that each of the men said they knew nothing about.
That prompted a twomonth investigation, which ended with Currier's arrest.
The affidavit accuses Currier of having opened 61 fraudulent loans for a total of about $6.2 million in the names of at least nine individuals and eight other fictitious people. The affidavit said combined outstanding balances remaining on
those loans as of Tuesday was about $1.8 million.
A dozen of the criminal complaints accuse Currier of obtaining money by false pretenses, an offense punishable by imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $5,000.
Another dozen of the criminal complaints accuse Currier of second-degree forgery, an offense punishable by imprisonment of up to seven years.
Seven complaints accuse Currier of falsely impersonating another to create liability, an offense punishable by imprisonment of up to 10 years.
Currier also is accused of obtaining unlawful proceeds, an offense punishable by imprisonment of five to 20 years and a civil penalty of up to three times the value of the property involved in the transactions, and of misappropriation of funds (embezzlement), punishable by imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to $100,000.
Currier resigned from the board of education for Enid Public Schools on Sept. 13, board minutes show.
After his arrest, Currier was released on bail, police said.