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In this episode, retired agent Francis “Frank” Gasper, reviews his investigation of Elizabeth Kolling for trust account and elder fraud. Kolling, head of the Trust Account Department at the Dickinson North Dakota branch of the Bank of the West, took advantage of her position and stole money and mineral rights from her senior citizen clients.
Kolling was appointed as the trustee for elderly bank clients who had no close relatives to help them manage their finances and was granted power of attorney over their trust accounts.
Frank Gasper served in the FBI for 25 years. He began his career in the New York Division, investigating Organized Crime as part of the squad that targeted the Bonanno family.
Frank transferred to the Surveillance Branch, and from there to an undercover support unit, before an assignment in the White Plains Resident Agency, where he worked investigations involving mail fraud, bank fraud, and public corruption. During this same period, Frank also served as a TDY Assistant Legal Attaché (ALAT) in Baghdad, Iraq.
Special Agent (Retired)
Francis “Frank” Gasper
12/1995 – 3/2021
Later in his career, Frank accepted a transfer to the Bismark, North Dakota Resident Agency (RA) out of the Minneapolis Division, where he specialized in white collar crime, public corruption, and investigating sexual abuse cases.
Early in this assignment, he investigated violent crime and public corruption matters that occurred on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. In 2019, he was awarded the US Attorney General Awards for Fraud Prevention for Operation Hard Copy, a series of investigations and prosecutions relating to the Jamaican Lottery Fraud telemarketing and elder fraud scam. His investigation resulted in shutting down a multi-million-dollar international fraud ring that targeted the elderly in the U.S. and Canada.
Frank is the Principal of Gasper Investigations, LLC, a private investigation firm, specializing in complex litigation support, corporate fraud investigations, background checks, and resolving employee misconduct issues.
He is licensed as a Private Investigator in North Dakota, Minnesota, New York and Illinois. Frank has a law degree from Villanova University. Prior to joining the Bureau, he worked as an Assistant District Attorney in NY and was a member of the Marine Corps for 28 years, serving in combat during the Gulf War and reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel.
The following are links to news articles about the Elizabeth Kolling trust account fraud investigation:
United States vs. Elizabeth Kolling – Affidavit
The Dickinson Press – 4/15/2011: FBI probes local $750K, 300 mineral acre fraud case
Grand Forks Herald – 5/1/2012: Defendants agree to plea deal in ND fraud case
The Jamestown Sun – 5/11/2012: ND man pleads guilty in scheme to raid trust funds
The Dickinson Press – 5/30/2012: Former Dickinson bank officer pleads guilty to fraud
The Dickinson Press – 12/19/2012: ND woman ordered to repay $1 million in fraud case
Wahpeton Daily News – 4/11/2013: Prosecutors, lawyer argue over bank fraud sentence
The Dickinson Press – 5/11/2013: Kolling civil case could be dropped pending federal lawsuit outcome
