Man arrested after $2 million taken

SMITH COUNTY – The Smith County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man for financial abuse of an elderly person after an investigation connected him to victims who’ve lost over $2 million dollars, according to our news partner, KETK.

On April 7, investigators met with a 77-year-old woman who had reported that one of her friends, whom she had known for years, had taken over $200,000 in checks from her.

The friend reportedly told her that he’d been arrested and he persuaded her to post a $34,000 bail. A few days later, the bail bond company, to whom she gave a check, threatened to report her to the Smith County District Attorney’s office after her check bounced.

She checked her bank account and found a significant amount of money had been taken out without her knowledge. She also informed investigators that her friend had convinced her to give him about $200,000 in checks he said he was using to flip homes.

The woman never received a return on the investments, and investigators later found her friend had used one of her checks to make a payment on his adult probation.

After the investigation, David Michael Nick, 37, was arrested for financial abuse of an elderly person over $150,000. Investigators also identified $2 million more in losses he reportedly took from six other victims.

The sheriff’s office is currently investigating , and suspects there are even more victims. Anyone who thinks they may have been a victim is asked to contact Detective Eakin at 903-590-2661.