Press Release
Contact:
DONALD DANIELS
ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY
PHONE: (616) 456-2406
FORMER BANK MANAGER SENTENCED FOR EMBEZZLEMENT
MAY 15, 2009 - GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - Amy Lynette Sanders, age 37, of Newaygo, was
sentenced to thirteen months in federal prison following her conviction for bank embezzlement,
U.S. Attorney Donald A. Davis announced today. Upon her release from custody, she was
ordered to serve five years ofsupervised release, perform 250 hours ofcommunity service, and
pay restitution of $171,343.84 to Independent Bank. She is also barred for life from employment
in the financial institution industry. Sanders was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert
Holmes Bell. She had previously entered a plea of guilty on February 10,2009.
Sanders committed the embezzlement between August 2004 and November 2007, while employed as a manager at the Grand Rapids Plainfield branch and, later, the Howard City branch of Independent Bank. Her conduct involved withdrawing and transferring funds from certificates of deposit and other accounts of banle customers, as well as withdrawing funds from general ledger accounts controlled by the bank. The misapplication was discovered by bank officials in November of2007 while Sanders was on vacation. After her termination on November 26, 2007, the matter was referred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In imposing sentence, Judge Bell noted the magnitude and duration of the offense conduct, the abuse of her managerial position and the trust that the bank had placed in her, and the need for deterrence.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Daniels.
END
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