A Georgetown woman has been slapped with a 41-month sentence by a federal court for pilfering funds while employed at a local credit union, officials said. Tracy Mikulencak, 44, got caught with her hand in the cookie jar, embezzling roughly $144,000 from her teller drawer and the vault of A+ Federal Credit Union, according to court documents.
The ex-employee was also found making unauthorized withdrawals from customer accounts, robbing from the dead by hitting a deceased member's funds. In total, Mikulencak's haul added up to a hefty $325,708. On top of her prison stint, she's been ordered to cough up $302,668 in restitution, the U.S. Attorney's office in the Western District of Texas said.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza didn't mince words, "The excellent investigative work by our partners at the FBI and the Georgetown Police Department unraveled a scheme by a trusted credit union employee to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the credit union and its members," he expressed. "These crimes strike at the heart of our banking system. Those entrusted with customer funds must be held to the highest standards of honesty and integrity."
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Acting Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson for the FBI San Antonio Division pointed out Mikulencak's prey were not just any accounts, "Tracy Mikulencak used her position to steal from the elderly and from grieving family members of a deceased customer. This sentence is reflective of the FBI’s commitment to stopping criminals who take advantage of vulnerable members of society." He lauded the Georgetown Police Department for its role in the investigation and ongoing community safety efforts.
This white-collar crook's activities were uncovered by the FBI and Georgetown PD teamwork. The case was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Guess, aiming to bring to justice those who abuse their powers within financial institutions.
