FORMER BANK TELLER SUPERVISOR PLEADS GUILTY TO BANK THEFT

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Alice H. Martin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, and Carmen S. Adams, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, announce that ARTHERINE CURRY, 52, of Birmingham, Alabama pled guilty today to a single count federal indictment charging theft from a federally insured financial institution.  According to Martin, Curry was a Teller Supervisor at First Commercial Bank when she used a customer’s certificates of deposit to pay a loan she had taken out.  When the customer came in to cash in his CD’s, Curry issued him a check as if the CDs were still funded.  Curry then charged the check against other CDs.

“This scheme was a house of cards, which fell apart when the bank customer came into the bank to cash out one of his CDs that Curry had used,” said Martin.

CURRY could receive a maximum of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for December 11, 2008 at 1:30 p.m., before United States District Judge Inge P. Johnson.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Michael W. Whisonant is prosecuting the case.