Former Warrior Bank Employee Sentenced To 27 Months In Prison For Embezzlement

BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge today sentenced a Hayden woman to more than two years in prison for embezzling from the Warrior bank where she worked, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Roy Sexton.

U.S. District Judge James H. Hancock sentenced FRANCES DUCKWORTH, 51, to 27 months in prison for embezzling from Superior Bank and its successors between November 2009 and August 2012. Duckworth worked as head teller at the Warrior bank branch during that time. The bank is now Cadence Bank. Duckworth must forfeit $202,994 to the government as proceeds of illegal activity. She also must pay the same amount in restitution to the victim and serve five years of supervised release following completion of her prison term.

Duckworth pleaded guilty to the embezzlement in March. According to her plea agreement with the government, Duckworth skimmed about $94,994 from deposit transactions between November 2009 and April 2011 at Superior Bank. After the bank became Cadence Bank, Duckworth took about $107,999 from deposit transactions between April 2011 and August 2012.

The Secret Service investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry Cornelius prosecuted.