US teen convicted of spending $25k put in his account by error

A US teen who blew through the better part of US$30,000 that was mistakenly deposited into his bank account has been ordered to repay the money and sentenced to 10 years of probation.

When 18-year-old Steven Fields checked his account and saw the huge balance last March, decided to go on a spending spree.

Within 10 days, the Georgia teen withdrew $20,000 in cash and spent another $5,000 with his debit card, with most of the money spent buying a BMW.

The bank error happened after a teller mistook Fields for another customer with the same name, 70-year-old neighbor who had just deposited the cash from a land sale, FOX6Now reports.

When the bank asked for the cash back, the younger Fields refused and pretended it was an inheritance from a dead grandmother.

"He was excited. I would have been too," his mother, Stacey Sorrow, said.

A Madison County judge ordered the teen to pay back the 70-year-old the $25,000 he spent.