MILWAUKEE – A branch manager at Brewery CU was indicted on a charge of embezzling nearly $150,000 over four years.
Maria Feliciano also served as a loan officer, which allowed her to open new loan accounts and increase the amount of funds available in a line of credit, according to the federal indictment from a grand jury.
Feliciano opened six loans in the name of two members totaling $148,564 between February 2007 and March 2011, according to the charges.
Four fraudulent loans were in the name of a female member, according to the charges. Feliciano made up false vehicle identification numbers to create vehicle loans, then increased the line of credit and disbursed the money to the woman’s account. Feliciano then made payments from the woman’s account on her behalf or transferred money to one of her own accounts.
She also opened two personal loans in the name of a male member, according to the record. She increased his line of credit and disbursed the money to his account. She got the money by making payments from his accounts on her behalf and by transferring money to her personal accounts.
To disguise her fraud, the indictment said, she made payments on the loan accounts, raised the limits on the accounts, changed the due dates on the loans and made it appear the loan had been paid. She also used money from the teller drawers to make payments on the loans, the indictment said.
