New Orleans police are searching for a 77-year-old man accused of befriending a 91-year-old woman, gaining access to her checking accounts, and making off with more than $35,000 and her 2012 Honda Fit. The investigation into Abram J. Banks, described as a Black male born March 22, 1949, began after the elderly victim reported the scheme on July 20, 2026.
According to a statement from the New Orleans Police Department, the 91-year-old woman told investigators that a suspect befriended her before gaining unauthorized access to her checking accounts. Detectives say more than $35,000 was drained from those accounts, and the woman's 2012 Honda Fit, bearing Louisiana license plate H509909, was also taken. Eighth District detectives identified Banks as the suspect following their investigation into the July report, per the NOPD statement. As with all named suspects in NOPD bulletins, Banks is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Financial Exploitation and Auto Theft Under Louisiana Law
The dollar amount involved pushes potential charges into some of the most serious brackets of Louisiana's theft code. Under La. R.S. 14:67, theft of property or cash valued at $25,000 or more is a top-tier felony punishable by up to 20 years at hard labor and a fine of as much as $50,000, according to FindLaw.
Because the alleged victim is 91, the case also falls under Louisiana's elder-specific theft statute. La. R.S. 14:67.21 makes it a distinct crime to intentionally misappropriate the assets of a person 60 or older, carrying up to 10 years in prison along with mandatory full restitution to the victim, per Justia Law. Separately, unauthorized access to a bank account can trigger Louisiana's bank fraud statute, La. R.S. 14:71.1, which penalizes schemes to defraud a financial institution with up to 10 years in prison, fines up to $100,000, and mandatory restitution, according to the Louisiana State Legislature.
Stolen Honda Adds Another Potential Charge
The alleged theft of the victim's Honda Fit could bring an additional charge under Louisiana's motor vehicle theft statute. La. R.S. 14:67.26 penalizes obtaining a vehicle through fraud or deception with up to 20 years at hard labor and fines up to $50,000 for vehicles valued at $25,000 or more, or up to 10 years for vehicles valued between $5,000 and $25,000, FindLaw notes. Taken together, the statutes mean Banks faces potentially cumulative prison exposure and mandatory restitution requirements if charged and convicted, though no charges have been formally filed in the case described by the research record.
The case is being led by NOPD's Eighth District, the department's geographically smallest patrol district at roughly 7.5 square miles, covering the French Quarter, Marigny, and Central Business District from its station at 334 Royal Street, according to the City of New Orleans. It remains unknown whether Banks and the victim had any relationship prior to July 2026, or whether any of the stolen money or the Honda has since been recovered.
Reporting Elder Exploitation and Vehicle Theft Trends
Louisiana law designates all citizens as mandatory reporters of suspected elder financial exploitation. Under La. R.S. 14:403.2, such reports should go to Elderly Protective Services at 1-800-898-4910, and good-faith reporting carries civil and criminal immunity, according to the 22nd Judicial District DA Office. Anyone with information about Banks can also contact Crimestoppers Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111 or through crimestoppersgno.org, where tipsters can remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward if their information leads to an arrest, per WWL-TV.
The case comes even as citywide vehicle theft has been trending downward. NOPD annual crime reporting shows motor vehicle thefts across New Orleans dropped by more than 30% in recent years, with city officials crediting data-driven policing and targeted patrols, according to WDSU. This is at least the second such case Hoodline has covered this month, following an Algiers auto theft case in which NOPD sought a different suspect wanted in a string of vehicle thefts and home break-ins.
