Former Milledgeville Credit Union Employee Sentenced For Embezzlment

ROCKFORD — A former employee of Milledgeville Community Credit Union was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala for embezzling money from Milledgeville Community Credit Union, in Milledgeville, Ill. KIMBERLY KENT, 53, who was also a former Treasurer of Wysox Township, was sentenced to 8 months in prison, to be followed by 2 years of supervised release requiring her to serve the first 6 months of supervision under home confinement, and a $5,000 fine. Kent was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,176.72 to Milledgeville Community Credit Union and $5,278.75 to Wysox Township, in addition to restitution in the amount of $231,823.15 that Kent already paid. Restitution included investigative costs incurred by the Credit Union and Township.

Kent pleaded guilty to the charge on February 24, 2014. According to Kent’s written plea agreement, from October 2005 through February 2012, Kent embezzled approximately $219,600 from Milledgeville Community Credit Union, where she was the manager and responsible for supervising other employees. Kent was also responsible for her own cash drawer and for handling various transactions on accounts, including the deposit and withdrawal of funds to and from customers’ accounts. As stated in the plea agreement, to conceal her embezzlement, Kent created fictitious loans using the names of family members and fictitious certificates of deposit. In 2009, Kent was elected treasurer of Wysox Township. Kent admitted that in August 2010, in her capacity as treasurer of Wysox Township, she used funds from Wysox Township’s account at Milledgeville Community Credit Union to cover her embezzlement. Kent used the money she embezzled for personal purposes. The deposits of the credit union were insured by the National Credit Union Administration Board.

The sentencing was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert J. Holley, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Paccagnini.