Pee Dee bank employee sentenced for embezzlement in South Carolina

United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that BETTY LEE JOHNSON was sentenced today in federal court in Florence, South Carolina, for bank embezzlement, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 656. Chief United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten of Florence sentenced BETTY LEE JOHNSON to 33 month imprisonment, $206,500.00 in restitution; 5 years supervised release and $100.00 special assessment.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Johnson worked for First Citizens Bank as a teller in the Bank's Clio branch.  A surprise audit conducted on December 15, 2011, revealed that the defendant's bank drawer and the vault were missing $206,500.00.  The investigation revealed that Johnson had been embezzling money from June 2006 to May 2011.

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, II of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.