Fairwinds CU Sued Over Mistaken Identity in ATM Theft

ORLANDO, Fla. – A woman who was identified as a “person of interest” in an ATM theft from a surveillance video taken by Fairwinds CU is suing the credit union.
 
Four months ago, Fairwinds gave a photo of Joyce Treutel using an ATM to Altamonte Springs police, hoping it would help investigators find someone who had stolen $800 from a man dying of cancer.
 
Local TV stations put Treutel's photo on the news, identifying her as a “person of interest” in the theft, which is how police described her.
 
But it turned out that Treutel, 57, an eye-clinic employee, had nothing to do with the theft.
 
Fairwinds made a public apology the following week and said it released the wrong photo because the clock at its ATM – where the suspect transaction took place – was off by about 10 minutes.
 
A 49-year-old Lake Mary man also was identified as a person of interest in the theft, also based on a Fairwinds ATM photo. Fairwinds settled his damage claim – he did not sue – in about two weeks.