A southwestern Illinois woman faces up to three decades in federal prison

A southwestern Illinois woman faces up to three decades in federal prison now that she's admitted embezzling more than $100,000 from a bank where she worked.

Forty-five-year-old Cynthia Palmer of Alton pleaded guilty Wednesday in East St. Louis to bank fraud and is to be sentenced Dec. 15.

Authorities say Palmer was working at a U.S. Bank branch in Bethalto when she stole nearly $106,000 from the accounts of customers ranging in age from 65 to 96.

The (Alton) Telegraph reports that Palmer's attorney, John Stobbs, said he plans to introduce evidence at his client's sentencing hearing that she is a breast cancer survivor and suffered from depression.