Workers Banned For CUThievery

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - (05/27/05) -- The former manager of Rome FCU wasbarred from the credit union industry by NCUA Thursday forembezzlement scheme that drained almost $1.1 million from the Rome,N.Y., credit union. Sharon Smith, 45, pleaded guilty tomanipulating the credit union's books and creating fictitiousmembers in whose accounts she deposited funds. Also banned from thecredit union industry were two former executives at Americu CU(formerly UpState FCU), including the former vice president oflending John Matrulli, and his underling, Maria Belk, for a schemethat siphoned more than $1.2 million from the Syracuse, N.Y.,credit union in phony loans. Also banned by NCUA were: RochelleKennedy, former deposit operations manager at Leominister FCU,Leominister, Mass.; and Shondra Bryant, former loan officer atShell Employees Houston Texas FCU; and Pamela Huene, formeremployee of Pueblo City Employees FCU, Pueblo, Colorado.