MN Woman Charged with Embezzling Funds from Minnwest Bank

FROM TCBBLOG.COM -

A Minnesota woman is facing federal charges for allegedly embezzling “hundreds of thousands of dollars” from the bank where she worked, Minnesota’s U.S. Attorney’s office said Tuesday.


Barbara Kaye Rechtzigel, a 47-year-old woman from the southwestern Minnesota town of Belview, is accused of stealing funds from the certificate of deposit (CD) accounts of customers of Minnwest Bank in Marshall.


Rechtzigel is accused of stealing customers’ money over the course of more than a decade—1998 through June 2012—for her personal use. Court documents state that she’s accused of stealing “hundreds of thousands” of dollars; U.S. Attorney’s office spokeswoman Jeanne Cooney said Wednesday that investigators are still compiling evidence to calculate the exact amount of money that Rechtzigel allegedly embezzled, so the office is unable to provide a more specific dollar amount at this time.

Rechtzigel faces one count of embezzlement by a bank officer, and she was charged via information, which generally indicates that a plea agreement is expected. She faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted