Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Same Name and Magically Appearing Millions Add Up to Big Trouble for Brooklyn Man
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 20, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 20, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
If a bank teller told you had an unknown bank account with $5.8 million in it and the bank insisted it's yours, wouldn't you spend it? That's what Brooklyn resident Benjamin Lovell did - and now he's paying.
Lovell shares the same name as an employee at Delaware company Woodlawn Trustees. Woodlawn asked that their Lovell be added to a Commerce Bank account with $5.8 million in it, but Commerce somehow mixed up the Social Security numbers of the two Lovells and assigned the Brooklyn Lovell, a Keyspan Energy salesman who makes $600/week, to the account. Jeez, Commerce, you and Social Security numbers!
When the Benjamin Lovell of Brooklyn went to deposit $400 into his account last December, he was told about the account. Lovell did tell the Commerce officials it wasn't his, but they told him it was his. So Lovell did what any person would do: He withdrew $1 million that day, then another $1.1 million over the next month, blowing most of it on "failed investments, jewelry for his mistress, colonic enemas and other extravagances."
Naturally Woodlawn became alarmed when their account was depleted, and the bank contacted the authorities, who only found $500,000 of the withdrawals. The Brooklyn DA's office charged Lovell with grand larceny and he faces up to 25 years in prison. His family was very upset and his wife told the Daily News, "He's a good guy. He's a family man."
Tagged
Benjamin Lovell
brooklyn
brooklyn da
Commerce Bank
crime
daily news
grand larceny
money
news
social security
The Brooklyn
The Brooklyn DA
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC Council to weigh changes to juvenile jails as assaults and overcrowding rise
The City Council is holding a hearing Tuesday to consider several bills aimed at reducing the youth detention population and improving conditions for those who remain.
By
Samantha Max
Published Oct 26, 2026 at 12:10 p.m. ET
Early Addition: Who's giving out those chic little Nordic gummies this Halloween?
Because the status trick-or-treat candy has arrived, here are your early links: NYC Marathon-themed early voting sticker, New Jersey's Socialist Party on the rise, Herald Square billboard fight and more.
By
James Ramsay
News
Early Addition: Who's giving out those chic little Nordic gummies this Halloween?
Because the status trick-or-treat candy has arrived, here are your early links: NYC Marathon-themed early voting sticker, New Jersey's Socialist Party on the rise, Herald Square billboard fight and more.
By
James Ramsay
In East Brooklyn, aging NYCHA homes get a $636M upgrade
By
Willow Higgins
What NYers can expect as open enrollment for health insurance begins
By
Caroline Lewis
Why New Yorkers should care about bats beyond spooky season
By
Catalina Gonella
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .