CHATANOOGA, Tenn. A former bookkeeper at Southern CU on Wednesday was sentenced to 15 months in prison for embezzling $396,000 from the credit union over four years money her attorney said went to her philandering husband.
Cheryl Watson was ordered to pay back the money at a rate of at least 10% of her salary after she gets out of prison.
Watson’s attorney told the court her husband, Jason Watson, had up to 30 other women on a string and lavishly used his wife’s credit card. She said he has warrants against him from three different jurisdictions. She claimed that Jason Watson would steal from some of his girlfriends and give the items as gifts to other girlfriends.
Prosecutors said the situation with the husband should not be an excuse for Watson to escape prison time.
Cheryl Watson was employed as a bookkeeper at Southern CU from October 2005 until March 2010. The embezzlement involved some 200 transactions.
