Ex-bank worker who stole $600K goes to prison

A former employee at Texas Capital Bank was sentenced Thursday to 33 months in federal prison without parole for embezzling more than $620,000 from accounts connected to a bank official.

For more than 15 years, Stacy L. Rapp served as the trusted assistant to Mark Johnson, who was regional president and is now vice chairman.

Rapp pleaded guilty last year to embezzlement, and U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia on Thursday ordered her to turn herself in to prison authorities later this year and to pay restitution.

In February 2013, Johnson discovered several transactions in his personal account that he was not familiar with, Rapp's plea agreement said.

When Johnson asked Rapp about the issue, she said she would look into the matter, the agreement said. Instead, she abruptly left the bank and never returned.

An investigation by the Secret Service showed Rapp had been stealing money since at least February 2007 and through February 2013, the plea deal said. She accessed Johnson's accounts 196 times, and those of his family, for money for personal expenses.

The scheme included fraudulently transferring money from accounts of the Johnson family to her own accounts at other banks, forging Johnson's signature on documents and checks and even withdrawing cash from an account belonging to Johnson's mother-in-law.

The plea agreement said she spent the money on credit card payments, vacations, “spa experiences,” her children's college tuition and a down payment on her house in Boerne. The bank is FDIC insured, records show.

Johnson was traveling and was not immediately available for comment Thursday.

He has a long record of community service, with a leadership role in numerous nonprofit organizations. Johnson previously served as president of the Alamo Area Council of Boy Scouts of America and as director of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, according to a biography on the Texas Capital Bank website.

Texas bank VP sentenced to 30 months for loan fraud

A former bank vice president was sentenced to federal prison in U.S. District Court in Waco, Texas for embezzling tens of thousands of dollars.
U.S. District Judge sentenced Cory Cole to 30 months in federal prison, followed by five years on supervised released.
He was also ordered him to pay a $50,000 fine.
Cole embezzled the money through loans based on fraudulent documentation.
On July 3, Cole pleaded guilty to one count of theft or embezzlement by a bank employee.
He admitted that beginning in January 2013, while service as a vice president of Citizens State Bank in Itasca, he stole bank funds by approving more than 20 fraudulent loans

Henderson County, Texas woman guilty of embezzlement

54-year-old Murchison, Texas woman has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales.

Deborah Cornett pleaded guilty to an information charging her with embezzlement by a bank employee today before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell.

According to information presented in court, from November 2007 to May 2013, Cornett was an officer and employee of the First State Bank of Ben Wheeler. During that time, Cornett embezzled approximately $334,736.43 from bank payroll accounts, the bank Christmas Club account, certificates of deposit, and from fraudulently issued bank loans.

Cornett faces up to 30 years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld.

Fired Houston Banker Sentenced for Embezzlement

 A former banker in Houston has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for stealing $124,000 mainly from elderly customers or out-of-state patrons.

Prosecutors in Houston on Monday announced the penalty for 24-year-old Hannah Gonzales. She also must make $55,000 in restitution.

The former assistant manager of an International Bank of Commerce branch was arrested in January. Gonzales in June pleaded guilty to embezzlement.

Investigators say the Houston woman since 2010 stole money from accounts of people not likely to be stopping by the bank or customers who did not live in Texas. Some cash was stolen from teller boxes. Other funds were taken from customer accounts.

Gonzales was fired in July 2011 when an audit revealed the missing funds.

WesTex FCU Employee Sentenced for $500,000 Embezzlement

A former assistant accountant for the $60 million WesTex Federal Credit Union in Lubbock, Texas, will spend 37 months behind bars and pay restitution of $690,000 for embezzling an estimated $500,000 from a branch of the credit union.

Armelinda “Irma” Castillo, who worked at WesTex’s southwest branch at 7802 Indiana Ave. in Lubbock, was sentenced Friday for stealing the money from April 2009 to April 2012.

According to documents filed April 18, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Castillo embezzled funds in amounts of $100 - $1,000 and then deposited the money into the credit union account of either herself or her boyfriend. The money was used, she said, to pay for expenses for herself and for others.

Castillo pleaded guilty to misapplication of funds in December 2012. U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings also ordered that Castillo, 27, be supervised for five years after the completion of her sentence.

According to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, the credit union contacted law enforcement when it discovered the embezzlement.

“At no time have our credit union member accounts or funds been in jeopardy,” the credit union had said in a prepared statement, adding that members were notified immediately after the problem was discovered.

Vicki Lynn Love, president of the west Texas credit union, could not be reached for further comment on Tuesda

Bank Employee Charged with Bank Fraud in McAllen, Texas

Edna Edith Sepulveda, 39, of McAllen, has surrendered to federal authorities following the return of an indictment alleging she perpetrated more than $200,000 in bank fraud, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today.

The indictment was returned July 9, 2013, and she made her initial appearance today, at which time she was permitted release upon posting bond.

According to the indictment, Sepulveda was a former employee of Inter National Bank of McAllen. Beginning in January 10, 2006, she allegedly devised a scheme to take money from Inter National Bank by fraudulent means. She then placed the funds into the accounts of her parents allegedly intended for her own personal use, according to the allegations. The total amount of loss to Inter National Bank is $232,351.19.

If convicted, Sepulveda faces up to 30 years in federal prison, as well as a $1 million fine.

This case is being investigated by the FBI with the cooperation of Inter National Bank. Assistant United States Attorney Jason C. Honeycutt is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

Southlake Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Bank Fraud Conspiracy in Texas

Jason Dvorin, 45, of Southlake, Texas, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 24 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $111,639 in restitution, following his conviction at trial in February 2013 on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Judge O’Connor ordered that Dvorin surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on September 12, 2013. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

Dvorin entered into an agreement with Chris Derrington, the vice president of Pavillion Bank, located on West Campbell Road in Richardson, Texas, to deposit worthless checks in return for immediate access to the bank’s funds. Dvorin would bring in worthless credit card checks, or checks drawn on a closed account, and present them to Derrington for deposit. Knowing the checks were worthless, Derrington gave Dvorin immediate access to the bank’s funds. As soon as one worthless check was returned, Dvorin would deposit another worthless check. This pattern continued over the course of five years and resulted in 224 fraudulent deposits by Dvorin and the Derrington. By the time the scheme was uncovered, Pavillion bank sustained a loss in excess of $300,000.

Derrington, 61, of Dallas, was charged in a separate case with the same offense and pleaded guilty to that charge in May 2012. He was sentenced in March 2013 to a five-year term of probation and ordered to pay more than $778,000 in restitution.

Today’s announcement is related to efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory, and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state, and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions, and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,900 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.

The cases were investigated by the FBI and the FDIC Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mindy Sauter and Michael Elliott prosecuted.

Former VP of Lending convicted of bank embezzlement in Texas

Shawn Nelson, 39, of Houston and a former vice-president at Members Choice Credit Union, has entered a plea of guilty to embezzling approximately $340,000 from the bank, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today.

Court records reflect that Nelson was a vice-president of lending at Members Choice Credit Union in Houston. From 2001 through 2009, Nelson opened signature loan accounts in his friends’ and family members’ names without their authorization and then withdrew money from accounts without their authorization. By the time the fraud was discovered, Nelson had stolen more than $340,000 from the credit union.

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison, has set sentencing for Sept. 26, 2013, at which time Nelson faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a possible $1 million fine. Additionally, as part of his plea agreement, Nelson has agreed to forfeit approximately $340,000.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Sharad S. Khandelwal and Kristine Rollinson are prosecuting.

Ex-PlainsCapital teller gets 8 months in federal prison for embezzlement plea in Texas

Ex-teller gets 8 months for embezzlement plea

A former PlainsCapital Bank teller was sentenced on Thursday, June 6, to eight months in federal prison for stealing from her former employer.

U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings also ordered Riley Paige Trotter, 24, to pay $36,233 in restitution. After she finishes her prison term, she will spend five years on supervised release.

Trotter, a part-time teller supervisor at the bank, pleaded guilty in February to the charge. According to court documents, the theft was discovered in an internal audit when both her cash drawer and the vault came up short.

Trotter told bank officials she’d begun taking money from the bank in May 2010.

Former VP at First National Bank of Whitney sentenced to seven years in Texas

A former vice president at the First National Bank of Whitney, who said her gambling addiction drove her to embezzle more than 
$6 million from the Hill County bank, was sentenced Wednesday to seven years in federal prison.
Mary Helen “Murty” Lane, 58, apologized to bank officials for betraying the trust they bestowed on her.
“I’d like to ask for forgiveness, but I actually understand if that is not possible,” she said.
Lane, who worked at the bank for 27 years, pleaded guilty in Waco’s 
federal court in March to theft, 
embezzlement or misapplication by a bank officer or employee during a 10-year period.
Federal officials say she used the money she stole to finance lavish gambling trips to Las Vegas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, to buy sports cars and pay her debts.
Officials reported that in one year, Lane, who occasionally won big, ultimately left $20 million behind at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla. That amount includes millions of dollars of winnings.
U.S. District Judge Walter S. Smith Jr. also ordered Lane to pay $6 million in restitution and to be supervised for five years after her release from prison. The judge allowed her to remain free on bond until the Bureau of Prisons determines where she will be placed.
Lane’s attorney, John Floyd, said his client had an “insidious addiction” to gambling. He said she is financially ruined and intends for “every dime she has” from the $47,000 she made from selling her home to go toward restitution payments to the bank.
Floyd tried to earn credit points with the judge before sentencing by saying that bank officials had no idea about the missing funds until she resigned from the bank in January 2012 and sought the help of an attorney.
But the judge cut Floyd short and said pre-sentence reports indicate that bank officials knew of “accounting irregularities” but not how or who had stolen the money.
Floyd argued that Lane deserved credit for cooperating with bank officials and telling them how she was able to accomplish stealing an amount that depleted most of the bank’s assets without detection from officers or auditors.
Removing cash
Federal authorities said in court records that Lane removed large amounts of cash from the vault and then created false bank documents to hide her thefts and to “fool bank employees and bank auditors.”
Bank officers used insurance proceeds, loans and personal cash from board members to keep the bank afloat, officials said Thursday.
Mike Farquhar, president of the bank, asked the judge before he sentenced Lane to consider the magnitude of her actions and the depth of her betrayal, both of which, he said, almost put the bank out of business.
“I would have trusted her with my life at one time,” he said. “All of us considered her a friend. She robbed us over a 10-year period while working with us every day and looking us in the eye.”
Bank board chairman Gene Adams asked the judge to give Lane the “utmost penalty for the dastardly act” that she perpetrated.
A co-worker told an FBI agent that Lane kept so much cash on hand that she went home on a few occasions to get cash when the bank ran out of $100 bills.
Lane retrieved $100 bills from her home and brought them back to use at the bank in exchange for smaller bills, according to court records.
She used the majority of the embezzled money to gamble at casinos in Las Vegas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, court documents state. Lane often gave her co-workers $100 bills, claiming she was a big winner at the casino, records indicate.

Bank vice president indicted for embezzlement in Texas

A Houston man has appeared for arraignment in a 12-count indictment alleging bank embezzlement, United States Attorney Kenneth Magids on announced today.

A federal grand jury returned the sealed indictment against Shawn Nelson, 39, on Feb. 20. He was arrested Friday, March 22, made his initial appearance the following Monday and was arraigned on Thursday by U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy. He was permitted release pending further criminal proceedings.

According to the indictment, Nelson was a vice-president of lending at Members Choice Credit Union. From 2001 through 2009, Nelson allegedly opened signature loan accounts in his friends’ and family members’ names without their authorization and subsequently began withdrawing money from those accounts. By the time the fraud was discovered, Nelson had withdrawn more than $340,000, according to allegations in the indictment.

If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison as well as a possible $1 million fine for each count. The United States is also seeking forfeiture of approximately $340,000.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sharad S. Khandelwal.

Former VP of Hill County bank released on bond for embezzlement charge in Texas

A former First National Bank of Whitney vice president who is scheduled to plead guilty next week to embezzling more than 
$6 million from the institution was released on bond Thursday.
U.S. Magistrate Jeffrey C. Manske set a $100,000 unsecured bond for Mary Helen “Murty” Lane, who worked for 27 years at the bank. Lane, 57, who is living with family members in Houston, is set to plead guilty March 7 to theft, embezzlement or misapplication by a bank officer or employee, said her attorney, John Floyd, of Houston.
She is charged with embezzling more than $6 million from the Hill County bank during a 10-year 
period.
Before releasing her on bond, the judge asked if Lane constitutes a flight risk because of the amount she allegedly stole.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Frazier told Manske the government does not consider her a flight risk and agreed to the unsecured bond, which means Lane was released Thursday without having to pay anything but will be liable for $100,000 if she misses a court date.
Lane had not been arrested and made arrangements to be in court Thursday for her initial appearance.
Dressed in a black-and-white pattern jacket and black pants, Lane told Manske that she is a high school graduate with 30 hours of college credit as she stood in line with two men wearing jail clothes who are charged with distribution of crack cocaine and two others charged with weapons violations.
Lane, who resigned as vice president in January 2012, was accompanied to court by her brother, her sister and her brother-in-law, Floyd said.
Michael Farquhar, president of the bank, also attended the hearing Thursday. He declined comment as he left court.
Floyd said he could not comment at length while the case remains pending. He declined to say if Floyd has a gambling problem or if she would be able to repay any of the money she reportedly took from the bank.

Gambling trips
Federal authorities have alleged in court documents that Lane used her reportedly ill-gotten gains to take lavish gambling trips and to buy expensive
sports cars.
A co-worker told an FBI agent that Lane kept so much cash on hand that she went home on a few occasions to get cash when the bank ran out of $100 bills.
Lane retrieved
$100 bills from her home and brought them back to use at the bank in exchange for smaller bills, according to court records.
Federal authorities say in court records she removed large amounts of cash from the vault and then created false bank documents to hide her thefts and to “fool bank employees and bank
auditors.”
Lane used the “majority of the embezzled money” to gamble at casinos in Las Vegas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, court documents
allege.
Lane often gave her co-workers $100 bills, claiming she was a big winner at the casino, records
indicate.
If convicted, Lane faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine up to $1 million.

The former vice-president of the Whitney First National Bank stands accused of stealing more than $6 million from her employer. In the federal information filed against her, she is facing an embezzlement charge.

Investigators claim that the woman took huge sums of money from the bank's safe and then falsified bank documents to hide the money that had been taken. Allegedly, the woman used most of the money to gamble. When she would return from trips, investigators say the woman handed out money to her co-workers and told them she had won it gambling.

Police claim that the bank once ran out of $100 bills, so the woman went to her home and retrieved some she had. She then exchanged them for $20 bills at the bank. She is also accused of buying expensive cars with money she allegedly stole.

The woman worked at the bank for 27 years and resigned in January 2012. According to court documents, the alleged embezzlement scheme went on for 10 years.

In a case where a defendant is charged with embezzlement, the prosecution must prove that the defendant took money or other property and intended to take it without the owner's consent. If the defendant lacked this intent, then she cannot be convicted of embezzlement.

The penalty for embezzlement is determined by the value of the goods or amount of money that was taken. The smallest penalty is a fine of less than $500 for taking less than $50. However, the penalty for taking $200,000 or more is a fine of up to $10,000 and up to ninety-nine years in prison.

Former Central Texas Bank Employee Charged In $6 Million Theft

A former employee of the Whitney 1st National Bank has been summoned to federal court next week to answer a charge of embezzlement of more than $6 million from the bank.
She has not yet been arrested, but Mary Helen (Murty) Lane is charged with embezzlement from a federally insured financial institution of more than $1,000.
Lane is charged on a federal information, meaning she has not been indicted, and has agreed to appear before U.S. Magistrate Jeffrey C. Manske on a summons, a court docket says.
The federal court charging document obtained Tuesday by News 10 says Lane, over a period of 10 years, stole large amounts of cash from the bank's safe and originated false bank documents to cover the thefts.
Lane was employed by the bank for 27 years and she resigned her position as vice president in January 2012.
The charging documents says Lane used most of the cash to finance gambling trips to Las Vegas, Nevada and Shreveport, Louisiana.
The FBI also said that when Lane would return from gambling trips she would give her fellow employees $100 bills which she claimed to be part of her gambling winnings.
Retired FBI Special Agent John Truehitt, who now is the police chief at Lacy Lakeview, said in his report that on at least one occasion the bank in Whitney ran out of $100 bills, and Lane went to her home to get some and bring them back to the bank in exchange for $20 bills from the bank's cash drawers.
During an investigation bank employees told FBI agents Lane made so many trips to gambling venues that she was rewarded with complimentary trips, hotel rooms and food.
FBI investigators also learned Lane purchased several expensive sports cars with funds she took from the bank.
"This old news to us, and was taken care of by our holding company and insurance proceeds a long time ago,” said bank president Mike Farquhar in a statement Tuesday.
“No customer accounts have been affected and this situation did not affect operations of the bank."

Former bank executive admits embezzling from Bank of America in Texas on February 1, 2013

Donnie Wright, 53, of Lubbock, Texas, appeared Thursday in federal court and pleaded guilty, before U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings, to one count of embezzlement of funds by a bank employee. Wright, who remains on bond, faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in federal prison, a $1 million fine and restitution. Judge Cummings ordered a presentence investigation report with the sentencing date to be set after the completion of that report. Today's announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldana of the Northern District of Texas.
According to documents filed in the case, Wright was employed by Bank of America in Lubbock, as a Branch Manager at the 5144 82nd Street location. The factual resume states that Wright was a member of the Board of Deacons and Trustee at Community Baptist Church (CBC) in Lubbock. Beginning in May 2006 and continuing to January 24, 2010, Wright used his position as a Bank of America employee to embezzle funds owned by CBC and entrusted to the custody and care of Bank of America. He employed a variety of methods to embezzle the funds, including embezzling from CBC's Certificates of Deposits held at the bank; making cash withdrawals from CBC's accounts using debit (withdrawal) tickets; and fraudulently drawing checks on CBC's checking account.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Lubbock Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda R. Burch is in charge of the prosecution.

Assistant branch manager indicted for bank embezzlement in Texas

Hannah Gonzales, 24, of Houston, has been arrested following the return of an 11-count indictment alleging she embezzled from International Bank of Commerce (IBC), United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today.
Gonzales was arrested this morning without incident. She is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy at 2:00 today.

According to the indictment returned Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, Gonzales was an assistant branch manager at IBC. During 2010-11, Gonzales allegedly began withdrawing money from CD accounts of customers without their authorization. The indictment further alleges she chose customers who were either elderly or out of the country in order to reduce the chance she would get caught. By the time she was fired in July 2011, Gonzales had allegedly withdrawn almost $100,000.
The indictment also indicates she took money from her teller boxes without authorization. Gonzales allegedly conducted transactions in which there was no customer in addition to simply taking customer’s cash deposits without placing the cash into her teller box. On the day she was fired, IBC’s audits revealed she was short approximately an additional $24,000.
The indictment also includes notice of the government’s intent to seek a forfeiture of approximately $124,000.
If convicted, she faces up to 30 years on each count of conviction as well as a possible $1 million fine.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Sharad S. Khandelwal is prosecuting the case.

A former La Coste National Bank vice president was sentenced to five years' probation in Texas

A former La Coste National Bank vice president was sentenced to five years' probation for embezzling $30,000 from the now-defunct financial institution.



Mary Magdalene Crawford, of Atascosa, also must pay $40,000 in restitution; she's already repaid about $37,000 — some of which came from a retirement account that she had at the bank.



The embezzlement was uncovered in February 2010 after the bank was shut down by regulators because of an unrelated scheme.



Before sentencing Crawford, Chief U.S. District Judge Fred Biery asked her why she was in his courtroom.



“I just made a mistake,” Crawford softly answered.



“No ma'am,” Biery said. “You're a crook. You're a thief.”



Crawford later said she was sorry “that it happened.”



According to Crawford's plea agreement filed last fall, she stated she fraudulently prepared 10 cashier's checks worth $3,000 each. She then cashed the checks in late 2009 and used most of the money to pay bills.



In addition, the plea agreement stated that she stole $10,000 from the bank's vault. That charge was dropped as part of the plea, though the money was included in the amount that must be repaid.



La Coste National Bank was shut down by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was appointed receiver.



The bank's failure was blamed on the “the write-off of $7.3 million in fictitious investment securities alleged created by” then-President Jody P. Gwyn “to conceal his approval of payments made from bank funds on loans and significant overdrafts for a bank customer,” according to an audit report by the Treasury Department's Office of Inspector General.



The loans were well in excess of the bank's lending limits. The customer never has been publicly identified.



Gwyn was sentenced in April to five years in federal prison. He also must make $8.3 million in restitution for the losses sustained by the bank.



Crawford has been credited with already serving a year of probation. The probation could be terminated in two years if she gets in no further trouble and she pays back the remaining restitution.



La Coste's assets were acquired last year by Community National Bank of Hondo.







Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/Ex-bank-VP-gets-probation-2152892.php#ixzz1YPq2Nqg0

Former bank employee pleads guilty to embezzlement in Texas

A former Lubbock bank employee pleaded guilty this week to embezzling nearly $800,000 from a customer’s line of credit over several years.




Mary Frances Dunn faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.



According to court documents, Dunn began embezzling money while employed as a loan assistant to a vice president at Plains Capital Bank.



Beginning in 2003, Dunn fraudulently appropriated approximately $630,000 from a Plains Capital Bank customer, according to court documents.



When Dunn began working for City Bank in March 2008, the customer from whose line of credit Dunn embezzled moved the account with Dunn, after which she embezzled an additional $157,000.



A federal grand jury indicted Dunn in November of last year.



A sentencing date had not been set Wednesday.

Texas Bank Officer Accused of Embezzling More Than $2.7 Million in Palmer

$2.7 million is a great deal of money, and it’s pretty hard to miss that much cash flowing out of your bank – bad news for one (now) former Texas bank officer.




An indictment was placed against a former Bank of New York Mellon officer being accused of embezzling funds last Friday, as confirmed by U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas.



Tracey Buckley, 44 of Palmer, Texas, was arrested by federal agents on embezzlement charges last Thursday, and subsequently pled not guilty. After this, she was released on a personal recognizance bond.



Between September 2008 and September 2010, Buckley allegedly started 40 wire transfers totaling more than $2.7 million from The Bank of NY Mellon to her own bank account at JPMorgan Chase.



If convicted, Buckley could face a maximum of 30 years in prison and be fined up to $1 million. She could also be forced to pay further restitution and forfeit the titles of her vehicles and real estate she owns in Palmer and Ennis, TX as well as Custer, Montana.

Bank employee arrested on embezzlement charges in Texas

A local bank supervisor is accused of embezzling at least $37,000 in unauthorized debit transactions, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

La Blanca resident Lisa Rodriguez, 41, was arrested Tuesday morning by FBI agents after a federal grand jury in McAllen indicted her on three separate counts Dec. 28, officials said.
The indictment alleges Rodriguez, a First National Bank supervisor, misappropriated numerous undeliverable debit cards and their corresponding personal identification numbers to conduct at least $37,000 in unauthorized debit card transactions including cash withdrawals at ATMs in McAllen, Edinburg and San Antonio.
As bank supervisor, Rodriguez was in charge of processing customer debit cards that were returned in the mail as undeliverable, officials said. She allegedly used those cards and their corresponding personal identification numbers to withdraw money from April 2009 to July 2010.
Rodriguez was released on bond Tuesday after an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dorina Ramos, officials said. If convicted, she could face up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.

Amarillo Woman Sentenced for Embezzling Approximately $93,000 from Firstbank Southwest in Texas

Megan Elaine Hahn, 23, of Amarillo, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson to 12 months and one day in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. In addition, Judge Robinson ordered that Hahn pay $93,255 in restitution. Hahn pleaded guilty in October to one count of theft by a bank employee. Judge Robinson ordered that Hahn surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on January 11, 2011, to begin serving her sentence.




Hahn is a former teller at FirstBank Southwest. She admitted that beginning in 2008 until mid-May 2010, she stole money from her cash drawer. She concealed her thefts by manipulating the balance of her teller drawer on her computer and by falsifying cash in and cash out tickets. On May 18, 2010, after she saw auditors arrive at the bank, Hahn went to the bank managers and admitted her theft. She obtained approximately $93,000 from the bank over a two-year period.



The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Drake of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Amarillo.