Broussard woman sentenced to 2 years for stealing nearly $275,000 from bank customer accounts

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Broussard woman was sentenced Wednesday to 24 months in prison for embezzling almost $275,000 from bank customers. 

Derlena Carrier, 59, of Broussard, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of theft, embezzlement or misapplication by a bank officer or employee. She was also sentenced to five years of supervised released and was ordered to pay $274,980. According to the May 11, 2018 guilty plea, Carrier worked as an account clearing house (ACH) specialist for a bank where she had access to bank customer accounts and handled ACH wire transfers. From March of 2010 to December of 2016, Carrier initiated 74 fraudulent wire transfers from customers’ accounts to personal accounts. Carrier embezzled a total of $274,980 during the course of the scheme.

The U.S. Secret Service and the Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.