Jeff K.

I have had a devastating banking experience at Iberiabank on Ocean Reef Dr in Key Largo, resulting in a loss of over $400,000 to me. The branch manager, Robert Fillela, and the banker, Daniela Merrell (formerly known as Daniela Hernandez), have been evasive when I've asked them how I can obtain my missing money. I had had my money in a joint account and had been assured by them that I had the same rights as the other person on the joint account, but in the end they colluded with that other person and sent my life's savings to her via mail without my consent and knowingly made it impossible for me to access my funds (as they were aware that this person and I are not in contact and live very far away from each other and they know that the other person does not intend to give me my funds). They then closed my account and refused to give me any information about what check number they'd issued which they'd mailed to the other person for the over $400,000 of MY money or what I could do to ever recover my funds, since I explained to them in advance that the other person would not cooperate in providing my funds to me because of this person's long history of abuse of power. Before that, they had also attempted to divert my funds into another account belonging to that person AFTER they had already repeatedly assured me that my funds were being transmitted to me in a wire transfer. I am now in the process of initiating litigation against them to try to recover my funds. I am also exploring whether a criminal charge can be filed against them, but am not yet sure about that. I am submitting this review in the hope of sparing others what I have gone through. I am almost 60 years old and my retirement prospects and ability to take care of my future and my daughter's future have been utterly destroyed because of IberiaBank's actions. At present there does not seem to be any immediate way that I can recover my funds apart from an order by a judge or jury. Obviously it may take years and tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees to get to that point, further depleting my very limited retirement fund and very likely resulting my destitution. I have never experienced such disrespectful, cavalier, unprofessional behavior from any banking professional as I have from both Ms. Merrell and Mr. Filella who conspired together in this matter. Please be forewarned that these two individuals will not treat two joint account holders equally as required by law, instead they will favor the one who is super-wealthy in order to keep that person's lucrative accounts within the bank and they will ignore and disrespect the one of limited means, in this instance me, simply declaring that since the account is closed by them they have no further obligations, not even to respond to my request for any details on the $400,000+ check written from MY account!. It has been an agonizing, hard-earned lesson. I am still in shock and absolutely devastated but gradually day by day as I recover my ability to function I will continue striving to obtain justice. I hope that a judge or jury will issue punitive damages against both Mr. Filella and Ms. Merrell and anyone else from the Key Largo branch who was complicit in this conspiracy to deprive me of my funds but at this point the most likely outcome may be my permanent loss of the $400,000+ because I cannot even get IberiaBank personnel to inform me of what can be done when the other person does not sign or deposit the check but holds on to it and then 90 days passes and the check would no longer be valid. Any emails or questions I pose to them they are simply ignoring. How irresponsible and cruel can a banker be? I hadn't known until now.