Former bank manager here pleads guilty to embezzlement

The former branch manager at Wells Fargo bank in Mountain Home pled guilty Tuesday in U.S. Federal District Court to charges of embezzling $25,114 from accounts of three Wells Fargo customers.

Julie Dempsey, 41, of Boise, was accused of withdrawing funds from three customer accounts and depositing the money into nominee or fraudulent accounts that she had created at the bank.

She then withdrew the money from those accounts "and applied them to her own personal use and to the personal use of others," according to court documents.

The incidents occurred from September 2009 to April 2010.

The case had been investigated by the United States Secret Service of the U.S. Treasury Department. She had not been formally arrested. In June of this year a warrant was issued summoning her to court to appear on the charges.

According to court documents, Dempsey, with her attorney present, admitted to the crimes in a meeting on April 26 with Secret Service Resident Agent Robert Harrell. The summons to appear in court was issued shortly afterward and prosecutors began work on the plea agreement.

Assistant United States Attorney George Breitsameter, who handled the case, said the case moved quickly to resolution.

"This went fairly fast. When people come in and say they want to plead guilty, we start working on the plea agreement, right away."

Dempsey offered her guilty plea voluntarily and agreed to submit to the discretion of the court for sentencing, which is scheduled for Sept. 30, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill in Boise.

The federal charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 30 years, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and maximum supervised release of five years. She also will be required to pay restitution.

Dempsy had been hired as branch manager for the Mountain Home office in February 2009. She was fired in April of this year as soon as the thefts were discovered and Wells Fargo began cooperating with the Secret Service in the investigation.

Amy McDevitt, Wells Fargo spokesperson, said the bank had restored the money taken from the affected customers' accounts. "Wells Fargo always makes our customers whole. You money is always protected at Wells Fargo," she said.