TAMPA, Fla. A branch manager and longtime employee at Suncoast Schools FCU was arrested and charged with fraud after investigators determined she stole at least $49,125 from member accounts over the past year to support a prescription drug habit.
Credit union representatives say Jennifer Hoefler was a model employee who started off as a teller and worked up to manager of the Brooksville branch.
Among the victims were two members who reported to credit union officials last week that money had turned up missing from three accounts they share. They produced documents and signed sworn affidavits stating they did not withdraw the money or authorize anyone else to do so.
Investigators found that Hoefler stole $49,125 from those accounts between Sept. 25, 2012, and Feb. 13 in transaction amounts ranging from $100 to $5,000. Detectives said at least two transactions were in the form of a Suncoast cashier’s check.
During an interview with detectives, Hoefler admitted taking the money to support a prescription drug habit, the Sheriff's office said. Just before the interview, investigators learned Hoefler made another fraudulent transaction in the amount of $1,000. They found $750 in cash in her car.
Hoefler also was charged with possession of oxycodone. She was released Wednesday from the Hernando County Detention Center after posting $55,000 bail.
