Former Bank Teller Sentenced for Embezzlement

Nichelle L. Pfohlman, 36, formerly of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to five months in federal prison for three counts of bank theft, the United States Attorney’s Office announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Pfohlman to serve five months of home detention following her prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release and 180 hours of community service. He also ordered Pfohlman to pay restitution of $13,212.31. Pfohlman pled guilty to the charge in June 2010.

Over a 26-month period, Pfohlman, a teller at a Boise-area bank, made 26 unauthorized withdrawals from three elderly customers’ accounts. Pfohlman transferred the funds from the elderly victims’ bank accounts to her personal accounts without their knowledge or permission. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge noted that the defendant’s actions were not out of desperation but were simply calculated acts, which betrayed the trust of the customers and the bank. United States Attorney Wendy J Olson praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in protecting the rights of these elderly victims.