FORMER SAMFORD UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEE INDICTED ON BANK FRAUD

BIRMINGHAM, AL - EDITH WILLIAMS, 55, of Birmingham, has been charged in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, on seventy-six counts of knowingly forging checks being drawn on the Samford University Foundation account at AmSouth Bank. The indictment is announced today by United States Attorney Alice H. Martin and Special Agent in Charge, Carmen S. Adams, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The indictment charges that Williams, a former Samford University employee, forged the signatures of authorized signatories of the Samford University Foundation accounts and deposited them into an account she maintained at a separate financial institution. The total amount of forged checks totaled approximately $153,000.00, over a period of time from December of 2003 to June of 2006.

Williams faces imprisonment of up to 30 years, and fines of up to $1,250,000.00, or both. "We charge that as Secretary/Treasurer for the Samford University Foundation, Ms. Williams used her position to steal from the system," stated United States Attorney Alice H. Martin.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Patton Meadows, on behalf of the government.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden to provide a defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.