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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Guilty plea to embezzlement of nearly $350,000 from Discover Bank

Kimberly Y. Drummond,  47, of Middletown, pled guilty to one count of embezzlement from a federally insured financial institution.

Drummond, who will be sentenced on April 3, 2014, by  Leonard P. Stark, United States District Judge for the District of Delaware, could face 30  years in prison, a fine of $1 million, and 6 years of supervised release following her prison sentence.

According to statements made at the plea hearing on December 12, and documents filed in court, Drummond was employed by Discover Financial Services, in New Castle, Delaware, for nearly 20 years. In or around November 2008, Drummond began falsifying entries in Discover’s books and records, resulting in the issuance of duplicate checks from Discover Bank. Drummond deposited the checks into her personal bank accounts and she used the checks to pay her mortgage lender.  Drummond embezzled more than $349,000 from Discover from November 2008 through August 2012.

The  case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Paxton.

Former Bank Branch Manager in Garden City Sentenced for Embezzlement

A former branch manager at Landmark National Bank in Garden City, Kansas, has been sentenced for embezzling more than $99,000 from the bank, United States Attorney Barry Grissom said today. Sheri L Green, 52, Garden City, Kansas, was sentenced Monday to three years’ supervised release and ordered to pay $99,060 in restitution. She pleaded guilty to one count of misapplication of bank funds by a bank employee. In her plea, she admitted that in December 2012, while she was employed as branch manager for Landmark National Bank in Garden City, the bank discovered she had embezzled approximately $99,600 from the bank to cover her gambling losses.

She took the money by shifting money between customer accounts. Several customers had noticed irregular entries in their bank statements and complained to Green. She corrected the withdrawals by shifting money from other accounts to the complaining customer’s accounts to cover her tracks. Grissom commended the FBI and Assistant United States Attorney Barry Grissom for their work on the case.

First Financial Bank Employee Charged with Embezzlement

The Office of the United States Attorney has filed a criminal information charging Jeannie M. Bellar with embezzlement.  The indictment states:


Jeannie M. Bellar, being an employee with First Financial Bank . . . did steal and embezzle the sume of approximately SEVENTEEN THOUSAND ($17,000.00) DOLLARS . . .and without authority converted it to her own use.

It is unknown whether Bellar has been arrested but it would be unusual for the US Attorney to announce an indictment without first arranging for the arrest or surrender of the Defendant.

Former Weston Bank Manager Sentenced on Embezzlement Charge

A federal judge has sentenced a former Huntington National Bank Weston branch manager to three years and one month in prison for stealing customer deposits.

Deborah D. Radcliff, 51, of Weston, pleaded guilty in July to one count of embezzlement by a bank employee of more than $1,000 and one count of structuring deposit amounts to evade federal reporting requirements. Radcliff structured transactions to cause the bank to fail to file a currency transaction report for transactions of $10,000 or more. Radcliff issued or directed cashier's checks from funds withdrawn from customer accounts issued in the name of the customer, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Radcliff would take possession of the cashier's check, forge the name of the depositor and cash the checks for her personal benefit.

Chief Judge John Preston Bailey ordered Radcliff to pay a minimum of $100 a month restitution to repay the $247,249.88 she embezzled. Following her prison sentence, Radcliff will be placed on three years of supervised release. "Ms. Radcliff preyed upon her most vulnerable customers at the bank in order to line her own pockets," said U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, "Anyone who targets the elderly in a scheme like this deserves a significant punishment like the one imposed by the court."

Radcliff is free on bond. She will report to federal prison in February.

Former Weston Bank Manager Sentenced on Embezzlement Charge

A federal judge has sentenced a former Huntington National Bank Weston branch manager to three years and one month in prison for stealing customer deposits.

Deborah D. Radcliff, 51, of Weston, pleaded guilty in July to one count of embezzlement by a bank employee of more than $1,000 and one count of structuring deposit amounts to evade federal reporting requirements. Radcliff structured transactions to cause the bank to fail to file a currency transaction report for transactions of $10,000 or more. Radcliff issued or directed cashier's checks from funds withdrawn from customer accounts issued in the name of the customer, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Radcliff would take possession of the cashier's check, forge the name of the depositor and cash the checks for her personal benefit.

Chief Judge John Preston Bailey ordered Radcliff to pay a minimum of $100 a month restitution to repay the $247,249.88 she embezzled. Following her prison sentence, Radcliff will be placed on three years of supervised release. "Ms. Radcliff preyed upon her most vulnerable customers at the bank in order to line her own pockets," said U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, "Anyone who targets the elderly in a scheme like this deserves a significant punishment like the one imposed by the court."

Radcliff is free on bond. She will report to federal prison in February.

Former Weston Bank Manager Sentenced on Embezzlement Charge

A federal judge has sentenced a former Huntington National Bank Weston branch manager to three years and one month in prison for stealing customer deposits.

Deborah D. Radcliff, 51, of Weston, pleaded guilty in July to one count of embezzlement by a bank employee of more than $1,000 and one count of structuring deposit amounts to evade federal reporting requirements. Radcliff structured transactions to cause the bank to fail to file a currency transaction report for transactions of $10,000 or more. Radcliff issued or directed cashier's checks from funds withdrawn from customer accounts issued in the name of the customer, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Radcliff would take possession of the cashier's check, forge the name of the depositor and cash the checks for her personal benefit.

Chief Judge John Preston Bailey ordered Radcliff to pay a minimum of $100 a month restitution to repay the $247,249.88 she embezzled. Following her prison sentence, Radcliff will be placed on three years of supervised release. "Ms. Radcliff preyed upon her most vulnerable customers at the bank in order to line her own pockets," said U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, "Anyone who targets the elderly in a scheme like this deserves a significant punishment like the one imposed by the court."

Radcliff is free on bond. She will report to federal prison in February.

Former branch manager of Belgrade State Bank indicted

A federal indictment was returned Wednesday naming Sheila Aubuchon as the defendant in an alleged scheme to misdirect funds at Belgrade State Bank for her personal use.
Aubuchon was indicted by a federal grand jury on three felony counts of bank fraud, three felony counts of theft or embezzlement by a bank employee and two felony counts of causing Belgrade Bank to fail to file CTRs.
The case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorney Richard E. Finneran is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The indictment alleges that Aubuchon forged signatures, altered account numbers and evaded bank procedures in order to conceal her misappropriation of more than $120,000 in funds owned by Belgrade State Bank and its customers.
The indictment also alleges that Aubuchon failed to file currency transaction reports (CTRs) relating to these transactions as required by federal law. The financial crimes allegedly took place in Potosi.
According to the indictment, the former branch manager sought out individuals vulnerable to theft and fraud such as the elderly and recently deceased, according to the grand jury. She kept records in her office reflecting the obituaries of recently deceased individuals, a number of whom became her victims.
Once she picked a victim, she forged their signatures and initials, created false documents reflecting transactions and request never approved by the bank or the customer and modified account information, according to the indictment.
The indictment also accuses Aubuchon of processing transactions of more than $10,000 in cash without completing a currency transaction report as required by federal law.
Aubuchon would alter account numbers to indicate her own personal account number and often conduct her fraudulent activities outside normal business hours, according to the indictment.
If convicted, each count of bank fraud and embezzlement carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Failure to file a CTR carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. In determining any actual sentence imposed, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.