A criminal information was filed charging Sharon E. Piper, 55, of Columbus Grove, Ohio, with making a materially false statement relating to a matter within the jurisdiction of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Piper worked as the head teller for the Union Bank Company at its Columbus Grove branch. In 2010, she falsely stated the vault at the bank was in balance when she knew it was missing $145,000 in currency, according to the information.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The investigating agency in this case is the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lima, Ohio. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Gene Crawford.

An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.