September 8, 2014

TheBus Former Credit Union Employee Sentenced for Embezzlement

HONOLULU—On September 8, 2014, Jenny Nishida, age 41, former Oahu Transit Services Employees Federal Credit Union (OTSEFCU) employee, was sentenced on one felony count of embezzlement and misapplication of funds in a proceeding before Chief United States District Judge, Susan Oki Mollway. Nishida was sentenced to thirteen (13) months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $330,459.99. OTSEFCU is the credit union for current and former employees and family members of the Oahu Transit Services, the entity that operates “TheBus.”

United States Attorney Florence T. Nakakuni said that, according to the charging documents, the defendant obtained online access to the VISA payment system for OTSEFCU and falsely inputted VISA payments for herself and a family member. These VISA payments were false in that the payments were never actually made to OTSEFCU, but the defendant credited her and the family member’ accounts, as if these payments were made. From approximately 2006 to 2012, Nishida falsely inputted 122 false VISA payments totaling $358,685.

On May 5, 2014, a former OTSEFCU co-worker, Dona Takushi, age 54, former OTSEFCU manager, pled guilty to one felony count of embezzlement and misapplication of funds, and two felony counts of making false entries. Takushi will be sentenced on September 11, 2014, at 10:30 a.m. Another former OTSEFCU co-worker, Nicole Cheung, has already been sentenced to 20 days imprisonment for one felony count of embezzlement and misapplication of funds. Information has not been presented to the court linking the three together in their criminal activity.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Cynthia Lie.