RICHLAND, Wash.–A former employee of HAPO Community Credit Union has been charged with first-degree theft with aggravating circumstances for allegedly taking $75,500.
Meghan Brooks, 40, was charged with the crimes in Benton County Superior Court. According to the Tri Cities Business News, Brooks has pleaded innocent. A jury trial is tentatively set for Nov. 14.
The alleged theft occurred between July 7, 2021, and Jan. 7, 2022, court documents, court documents state.
The aggravating circumstance charge stems from the amount of money she allegedly stole, which court documents said was “substantially greater than typical for the offense,” the Business News reported. The publication said Brooks referred questions to her attorney, Nick Jones of Roach & Bishop LLP. Jones did not return a request for comment.
Mobile Branch Specialist
According to the report, Brooks was HAPO’s mobile branch finance service specialist until resigning in January, shortly after being notified HAPO was conducting an internal investigation into cash missing from the mobile ATM she oversaw, according to court documents.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Brooks joined the American Red Cross Pacific Northwest chapter as a disaster program manager in May, Tri Cities Business News reported. Meanwhile, the Hills West Recreation Club, a tennis-and-swim club in south Richland, announced that it removed Brooks as president and discontinued her access to its bank accounts after learning of the charges against her.
“HAPO officials told the Richland Police Department the theft was uncovered during an internal audit, which revealed that approximately $76,760 in cash had been issued for the mobile ATM, which is used at special events. The machine had a total capacity of $40,000,” Tri Cities Business News reported. “When credit union officials examined the ATM, it held $1,300, leaving $75,460 unaccounted for.
Resignation Submitted
“HAPO informed Brooks it was investigating the missing money on Jan. 28, a Friday,” the report continued. “She submitted a letter of resignation the following Monday in which she admitted she had faced ‘insurmountable financial problems’ and had ‘irrationally turned to a solution that in hindsight, was a poor decision.’”
Brooks acknowledged the theft to another staff member, estimating she stole $28,000, the report stated, adding she signaled her intent to repay the money.
“Court documents indicate that HAPO’s standard procedure was for two staff members to be present any time the ATM’s internal cash storage unit was out of the machine,” the Business News reported. “But on some occasions, Brooks would bring in the unit herself to be reloaded, leaving times where cash was under her sole control.”
Wires Had Been Cut
An investigation determined wires in the ATM had been cut, leaving it unable to process member transactions or account for withdrawals, according to the Business News, which further reported Brooks’ supervisor, who was not identified in court documents, had said Brooks had become “increasingly possessive” of the mobile ATM and avoided allowing him to complete routine cash balance checks by having other staff members complete them instead.
Brooks was recognized in the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business’s 2019 Young Professionals program.
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