Capital Briefs: Credit Union Shut; Ban Sought on 3 Principals

The National Credit Union Administration has shuttered CEDC Federal Credit Union of Hempstead, N.Y., and wants to ban its former president and two others from the financial industry.

The $4 million-asset credit union was solvent, so the April 16 closure will not cost the insurance fund any money. NCUA had put the credit union into conservatorship in September 1995 for alleged "weak lending practices and serious operational problems."

NCUA also has issued a notice of intent to prohibit CEDC's former CEDC president, Leone Baum; ex-treasurer Lawrence Burns, and John Kearse, who served on its credit committee, from ever operating a federally insured financial institution. Mr. Kearse heads the credit union's sponsor, the antipoverty group Economic Opportunity Commission of Nassau County.

According to the NCUA, Ms. Baum issued 11 false certificates of deposit, misled accountants, and created fake loans. The three were accused of placing a $100,000 credit union deposit into an account controlled by Mr. Kearse.

"We have denied everything," Ms. Baum said, adding that the NCUA subjected the three to a "storm-trooper process" and did not grant them a fair opportunity to state their case.

They will get a hearing on the enforcement action, but no date has been set.

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