Former Lincoln Bank employee pleads guilty to embezzling from bank

[July 11, 2014]  SPRINGFIELD - The former head teller at a Lincoln, Ill., bank, Nancy J. Huskins, 62, today entered a plea of guilty to embezzling nearly $2 million from the bank. Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas P. Schanzle-Haskins, Huskins, of the 900 block of S. Kickapoo St., Lincoln, Ill., waived indictment and entered a plea of guilty to an information that charged her with one count of bank embezzlement.

During her court appearance, and according to court documents, Huskins admitted that from about Jan. 1, 1996, to Nov. 4, 2013, when she was employed as the head teller of the State Bank of Lincoln, she embezzled approximately $1,982,685 for her personal use. Huskins admitted that in her position as head teller, she had access to the bank’s vault and was entrusted with significant access to portions of the vault that maintained large amounts of cash. Huskins admitted that she disguised the embezzlement by personally participating in audits of cash amounts, representing that a certain bag contained an amount of currency, when, in fact, she knew that the bag did not hold currency, but merely other empty currency bags.

The investigation was conducted by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the full cooperation of the State Bank of Lincoln. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Childress.

Huskins is currently on bond awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled on Nov. 10, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough.

At sentencing, Huskins faces a maximum possible penalty of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and a term of supervised release up to five years to follow any term of imprisonment. The defendant may also be ordered to make full restitution to the bank.

[Text from FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION SPRINGFIELD DIVISION website]