RICHLAND, Wash.–A former employee of HAPO Community Credit Union has admitted to stealing thousands of dollars from a mobile ATM used at community events, according to a new report.
“But exactly how much Meghan Brooks, 42, stole between July 2021 and January 2022 is being debated,” the Tri City Herald reported.
Brooks has entered a guilty plea in Benton County (Wash.) Superior Court to first-degree theft, with the aggravating factor of stealing more than what is normal for the crime, the Herald said.
Disagreement Over Amount Missing
Her defense attorney, Nicholas D. Jones, said she will commit to returning $20,000, but HCCU officials believe $75,000 went missing from the mobile ATM she was responsible for, the report added.
The Herald said that since Brooks doesn’t have any criminal history, her charge would normally carry a sentencing range of up to 90 days in jail.
Prosecutors and Jones agreed to recommend a four-month sentence, with Brooks being permitted to go to her job while serving her sentence. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 20.
According to the Tri City Herald, Brooks worked for the credit union as a mobile branch financial service specialist for about three years and was responsible for taking the mobile ATM to events and refilling it with cash.
“While she was part of the program, officials say she made seven questionable transfers over the course of seven months,” the Tri City Herald reported. “The amounts ranged between $6,000 and $20,000.”
‘Insurmountable Financial Problems’
The report added that Brooks allegedly told officials that she had recently suffered “insurmountable financial problems” and had planned to repay the money.
The missing funds were discovered during an internal audit that showed the mobile ATM was supposed to be holding $76,000, according to court documents, but that was more than the machine could hold.
Brooks reportedly often filled the machine by herself, a violation of policy.
Admission Made
“The defendant’s supervisor would later note that the defendant had grown increasingly possessive of the ATM at issue and repeatedly avoided allowing him to complete routine cash balance checks, by having other staff members complete them instead,” according to charging documents cited by the Tri City Herald.
After being informed of the audit, Brooks submitted her resignation and later admitted to the thefts, according to the report.