Bank Employee Allegedly Stole $16K

By Mike Perleberg

Shawn R. Hysell

Dearborn County Law Enforcement Center

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - A former bank employee is accused of taking thousands of dollars from two customers’ accounts.

Shawn R. Hysell, 45, of Rising Sun, is charged with two counts of Fraud on a Financial Institution (Class C felony), Forgery (Class C felony), and Theft (Class D felony). She was charged August 23rd and arrested September 9th.

According to a court affidavit, Hysell worked at the United Community Bank branch on Stateline Road in Dearborn County. The bank discovered the alleged thefts when a bank representative told the customer that he owed more than $13,000 on his home equity line of credit. That customer told the bank’s compliance department that the money was taken without his authorization.

Investigators with the Dearborn County Special Crimes Unit were contacted by the bank on July 29 after an audit determined that Hysell may have taken the money.

The affidavit showed that Hysell allegedly made $15,500 in withdraws from the victim’s account between November 18, 2011 and November 1, 2012. Just over $2,301 in payments or reversals also appeared during that time.

Hysell also allegedly accessed a second customer’s account, taking $3,000 between June 6 and August 7, 2012. That victim provided detectives a letter sent from Hysell in which she called the victim a “special” customer.

Detectives interviewed Hysell on July 30, 2013. Hysell allegedly admitted to the thefts when questioned. She said she had taken the money in order to help a relative with bills and living expenses.

Hysell is currently out of jail after posting a $500 bond on September 10. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for January 27, 2014 and a jury trial on February 10. She has been ordered to have no contact with either of the two victims.

United Community Bank President Bill Ritzmann issued a statement concerning the allegations against Hysell.

“This is a very unfortunate situation.  UCB’s internal controls and procedures helped us identify the situation and act accordingly.  We are dealing with actions isolated to a single employee who breached her duty to the bank and to our customers.  Those actions resulted in no financial loss to our customers.  We trust that the authorities will pursue this matter diligently,” Ritzmann said.