Chief Suspect Fingers Teller In CURobbery

CORTEZ, Colo. - (05/10/06) -- Sixty-one-year-old Sharon Vaughn,the main suspect in last May's armed robbery at Southwest ColoradoCU, testified Monday during the trial of her daughter and allegedaccomplice, Danja Vaughn, that she made off with only $60,000 fromthe heist, the rest of the $105,000 missing was stolen by RebeccaSmith, the teller on duty that day and a main witness in the case.Another teller at the credit union, Carol Garrett, told jurors thatSmith was formally written up for her job performance that samemonth and planned to quit her job. Smith has agreed to plead guiltyto conspiracy to commit theft after she changed her originalstatement to police that the Vaughns was not involved in therobbery. After changing her story, Smith gave police a stuffedanimal with $15,000 packed into it she said Sharon Vaughn gave herto buy her silence. Smith testified she originally told police theVaughns were not involved because Danja Vaughn threatened her.Sharon Vaughn testified her daughter did not know about the robberyand that the teller was the mastermind behind the heist. She toldjurors that during a meeting at the credit union just six daysbefore the robbery Smith showed her how to walk through the creditunion lobby so as not to be seen by the surveillance cameras. BothVaughns became suspects when the mother tried to pay her back rentwith $20,000 in $20 bills stolen from the credit union. SharonVaughn pleaded guilty in March to charges related to the robberyand is scheduled to be sentenced in June.