Former teller Teresa Ann Perkins admitted earlier this week that she embezzled $320,000 from members for nearly 11 years at the $23 Community United Federal Credit Union.
She was indicted in June, two months after the NCUA placed the Waycross, Ga.-based credit union into conservatorship in April. On July 31, Community United FCU was merged into the $149 million United 1st Federal Credit Union in Kingsland, Ga. at no cost to the share insurance fund, said NCUA Public Affairs Specialist John Fairbanks.
Community United FCU posted a net loss of $1.5 million and a net worth of 3.5% at the end of the second quarter, according to its NCUA financial performance reports.
Perkins, 58, agreed to plead guilty to one count of embezzlement Monday in U.S. District Court in Waycross.
From June 2006 to May 2017, Perkins stole from certificate of deposit accounts from three members, according to court documents and a local media report.
After the credit union was placed into conservatorship, a member reported to an auditor that $320,000 had been taken from his CD accounts, according to a local media report. The Florida Times Union’s Jacksonville.com news site also reported an audit revealed that Perkins allegedly took money from that member’s CD account to repay money she had previously embezzled from CD accounts of two other members.
A U.S. Attorney prosecuting Perkins did not return CU Times inquiries for additional information about the case.
A sentencing hearing for Perkins has not been scheduled.
