A former teller at a Regions Bank branch in Maumelle pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to an embezzlement charge, admitting she stole money from a customer.
Laurae Hatley entered the plea before Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Miller, admitting that from November 2012 until about March 2013, she embezzled about $24,600 entrusted to the bank from an elderly customer she befriended.
In addition to causing $16,500 to be transferred from the customer's account to her personal checking account and using the money for her own purposes, Hatley also used her position to request that ATM/debit cards for the customer's accounts be issued and sent to the Maumelle branch, according to her plea agreement. It says that Hatley acted without the customer's approval or awareness and, instead of giving the cards to the customer, used the cards to take about $8,100 from the customer's account through ATM withdrawals.
Hatley, who will be sentenced at a later date, faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million, although federal sentencing guidelines will suggest a penalty range based on Hatley's history, as determined in a presentence investigation.
The plea agreement, negotiated by defense attorney Bill James and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Ahmad, calls for a two-level enhancement because Hatley knew or should have known that the customer was vulnerable, as well as a four-level enhancement for the amount of loss. She will be given credit for pleading guilty before a grand jury could review the case for possible indictment. She also will be required to make full restitution.
Metro on 12/14/2016