LUZERNE COUNTY WOMAN ADMITS TO EMBEZZLING $300,000 FROM BANK

Martin C. Carlson, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced that a 51-year-old Shickshinny woman pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Richard P. Conaboy to embezzling more than $300,000 from Wachovia Bank between 2000 and 2007.

Carlson stated that Pamela Schuckers, who worked as a teller at the Shickshinny branch of the bank, admitted to taking the money from various customer accounts and using it for her own purposes.

Schuckers pleaded guilty to an Information that was filed in the case by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The filing of the charge and her guilty plea stemmed from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Carlson noted that Schuckers faces a potential maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, a special assessment of $100, and could be placed on supervised release for five years after serving any prison sentence. Judge Conaboy noted that the advisory federal sentencing guidelines call for prison sentence of 21-27 months. The judge scheduled Schuckers’ sentencing for August 20, 2008.

Carlson noted that the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.

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