Mother & Daughter Who Worked at CU Sentenced for Bank Fraud Conspiracy

U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann sentenced a mother, who was the CEO of NU Community Credit Union (NUCCU), and her daughter, a former NUCCU employee, for stealing more than $338,000 from the Pennsylvania financial cooperative.

Mindy Plasters, the mother, and her daughter Brittany Aikey, pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud in U.S. District Court in Williamsport earlier this year.

On Monday, Judge Brann sentenced Plasters, 58, of New Columbia, to 12 months and one day in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Aikey, 35, also of New Columbia, was sentenced to time served or one day in prison and two years of supervised release. They were both ordered to pay $338,855 in restitution.

Although the recommended sentence for Aikey was six to 12 months, a prosecutor during the court hearing reportedly told the judge that “he was not sure an incremental period of incarceration would serve any purpose,” according to PennLive, a local news outlet.

When the mother and daughter were initially charged in June 2022, federal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania estimated the fraud loss was $1.2 million for the $17.1 million NUCCU in Milton, Pa. The credit union was merged into the $645 million Service 1st Federal Credit Union in Danville, Pa., during the second quarter of 2018.

Plasters was the CEO of the credit union since at least 2012, and she also was the board’s treasurer, according to the credit union’s profile reports filed with the NCUA. Federal prosecutors declined to comment on what was Aikey’s position at NUCCU when she was charged with the crime last year.

From 2009 to February 2017, Aikey and Plasters conspired to steal money from the credit union by applying for loans using the names and identities of members without their knowledge. The family duo also falsified financial information on loan applications using other members’ identities in order to qualify for the loans, prosecutors said. Although these members were aware of the loans, Aikey and Plasters gave them false and misleading information about the purpose and terms of the loans.

They used their positions at the credit union to get the loans approved and used the funds for their own personal use.

What’s more, the mother and daughter allegedly took cash advances on members’ credit cards serviced by the credit union without their knowledge and spent the cash.

They also applied for credit card cash advances using the identities of other members. While these members were aware of the cash advances, Aikey and Plasters gave them false and misleading information about the purpose and terms of the cash advances, according to court documents.

During Monday’s court hearing, the mother and daughters said some of the stolen funds were used to pay for drug rehabilitation for Plasters’ son and Aikey’s brother, according to PennLive. Plasters also said she spent $40,000 on gambling, and Aikey said she spent the credit union funds to remodel her house and for vehicles, according to the local media report.

In February 2020, the NCUA banned Aikey from ever participating in the affairs of an insured financial institution for allegedly withdrawing more than $3,000 from members’ accounts without their authorization. She did not admit or deny the allegation. The federal agency’s administrative order did not identify her position at NUCCU.