Former Credit Union Employee Charged with Embezzlement and Money Laundering

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Male Yahaira Rivera (35, Orlando) with sixteen counts of embezzlement from a federally insured credit union and one count of money laundering. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for each embezzlement count and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for money laundering.

According to the indictment, Rivera was an employee of Fairwinds Credit Union. Between October 2010 and August 2011 she allegedly stole $258,000 from the credit union. Funds were taken on sixteen separate occasions in amounts ranging from $2,000 to $40,000. Rivera used more than $44,000 as a partial payment for a Porsche.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.