Former Credit Union Mobile Branch Coordinator Pleads Guilty to Theft
Prosecutor and defense lawyer agree to recommend a four-month prison sentence for Meaghan M. Brooks, but restitution amount has yet to be settled.
A former mobile branch coordinator for the $2.4 billion HAPO Community Credit Union in Richland, Wash., is expected to be sentenced later this month after she pleaded guilty to first-degree theft in Benton County Superior Court, according to the county prosecutor’s office.
Meaghan M. Brooks, 42, of Richland admitted she stole funds from the credit union mobile branch ATM from July 2021 to January 2022. The ATM is attached to a van that travels to community events as a convenient service for members.
Although a review of a general ledger indicated that $76,740 should have been in the ATM, the HAPO investigation determined there was only $1,300 in the machine. After Brooks learned on Jan. 28 that the credit union was conducting an audit, she submitted a resignation letter on Jan. 31.
However, a July 24 hearing has been tentatively scheduled for prosecutors and Brooks’ defense lawyer, Nicholas D. Jones, to determine the restitution amount.
Jones reportedly said Brooks is committed to restitution of $20,000 but credit union officials said $75,000 was stolen, according to a report by the Tri-City Hearld, a Washington-based media outlet.
Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Tyler C. Grandgeorge confirmed for CU Times that there is a dispute over the restitution amount. He said he expects this issue to be resolved at the July 24 hearing, after which Brooks may be sentenced.
Grandgeorge said he and Jones agreed to recommend a four-month prison sentence to the judge.
Jones did not respond to a CU Times request for comment.
One of Brooks’ responsibilities was to sign the money out from the vault, which was recorded in the general ledger and then deposited into the mobile ATM. The process required Brooks to deposit the funds into the ATM with a second employee as a witness. However, because the witness employee was rotated among other employees there was no record as to which employee witnessed Brooks’ deposits, according to a police report.
Although Brooks deposited the funds into the ATM, she allegedly did not record the transaction into the ATM transaction journal. She stole the funds from the ATM while she was alone, police said.