The NCUA last week banned two tellers, one who helped plan tworobberies of a Texas credit union and another who stole money fromaccounts of elderly members at a credit union in Virginia.

Desire Valverde, 23, a former teller of the $254 millionEducation Credit Union in Amarillo, Texas, was sentenced in July tomore than eight years in federal prison, after she pleaded guiltyto credit union robbery and aiding and abetting a credit union robbery.

During an investigation of two Education CU branch robberies inMay and September 2016, FBI agents learned Valverde provided one ofthe robbers with information on how and when to commit eachrobbery.

What’s more, FBI investigators said Valverde was in contact withone of the robbers by phone during both armed robberies.

On May 25, 2016, she was working as a teller and gave one of thesuspects money from her cash drawer. For her help, Valverde waspaid a portion of the money stolen from Education CU, according tocourt documents.

U.S. District Court Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater also orderedValverde to pay $53,519 in restitution and to two years ofsupervised release after serving her prison sentence.

Four other people who were involved in the credit unionrobberies received prison sentences.

James Nathan Sheppard, a former employee of the $8.5 millionVirginia State University Federal Credit Union in SouthChesterfield, was sentenced in June to more than three years inprison after he pleaded guilty to bank fraud and aggravatedidentity theft in U.S. District Court in Richmond, Va.

For almost two years, federal prosecutors said Sheppardembezzled more than $125,000 by recording fake withdrawals fromaccounts of elderly VSUFCU members. He also stole money from ATM deposit envelopes, according tocourt documents.

His scheme was exposed when a member from whom Sheppard hadstolen funds used the drive-thru teller window to discuss anunexplained $19,000 shortfall in his account. Sheppard happened tobe working at the drive-thru teller window that day.

Another VSUFCU employee observed Sheppard crediting the members’account with large sums of cash on his computer, which seemedunusual because the member had not deposited any cash withSheppard, federal prosecutors said.

The credit union’s management later discovered Sheppard hadattempted to conceal the fraud by transferring $18,000 from twoother member accounts to the account of the member who inquiredabout the $19,000 shortfall.

When confronted, Sheppard apologized, left the credit unionbranch and did not return.

U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Payne also ordered Sheppardto pay restitution of $125,805 and serve six years of supervisedrelease following his prison term.