BILLINGS, Mont. – A former Montana Health FCU teller admitted yesterday that she stole money from the credit union, including funds from her grandparents’ account, to pay for vacations and living expenses.
Sarah Housley, 34, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Billings to bank embezzlement.
Housley, a seven-year employee at the credit union, embezzled money from about January 2008 until July 2010, when she was put on administrative leave from her job as business development officer.
Prosecutors said an investigation began after the credit union’s chief executive officer, in preparing Housley’s annual performance evaluation, noticed that Housley was having problems balancing her personal account. Housley also was transferring money from her grandparents’ account at the credit union when her money ran low.
An audit of Housley’s teller drawer showed it was thousands of dollars short. The investigation also found that Housley had transferred $94,158 from her grandparents’ account in hundreds of transactions. Housley’s grandparents had not authorized Housley to transfer their money and had relied on her for banking help because they found monthly statements hard to understand, prosecutors said.
Housley spent the money on covering her overdrafts, vacations, house payments and other expenses.
Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 3 and continued Housley’s release.
