VENTURA, Calif. An accountant who was assigned to pay bills for an elderly member of Ventura County CU was charged with siphoning $20,000 from the 83-year-old woman’s credit union account.
The accountant, identified as Sandra Zbinden, 37, allegedly deposited six checks from her client’s credit union account in her own account, according to police. Zbinden was hired to help manage the elderly member’s finances.
Zbinden allegedly cashed or deposited about $20,000 worth of the woman’s checks between July and August before a manager at the accounting firm discovered the crime and fired her. The company then alerted authorities and the credit union, where the victim does her banking.
Zbinden was arrested at the credit union branch Aug. 16, after she attempted to cash one of the victim’s checks.
Zbinden has pleaded not guilty to forgery, identity theft and forgery by a caretaker of an elder or dependent adult, all felonies.
