Woman who stole from bank sentenced
Published 12:00 am Thursday, November 29, 2007
A misappropriation of $14,870 and a lack of remorse for it will send a South Point woman to prison for nine months.
Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge Charles Cooper Wednesday told Amber Broughton, 29, of 114 Cedar Court, she had been placed in a position of trust when she was hired as a bank teller at National City Bank in Chesapeake and when she stole money from the bank, she violated that trust.
Because she never expressed sorrow for what she hade done, he felt a prison sentence was in order.
“Theft of this form is one of the worst offenses,” he told her.
Broughton was found guilty during a two-day trial last week. The jury deliberated four and a half hours before returning the guilty verdict.
Broughton’s attorney, Roger Smith, had asked Cooper to give his client probation or home confinement instead of sending her to prison.
“She has no prior criminal record, and this was not a crime of violence,” Smith said. “She has three small children.”
But Assistant Lawrence County Prosecutor Brigham Anderson said Broughton deserved to be punished since she pointed the finger at others during her trial and never took responsibility for what she had done.
Cooper also ordered Broughton to make restitution to the bank but allowed her a furlough before reporting to prison.
Also Wednesday, Douglas Brown, 43, of 32 Township Road 1062, South Point, pleaded guilty on a bill of information to one count of breaking and entering. Cooper sentenced him to four years community controlled sanctions under intensive supervised probation and ordered him to complete a drug rehabilitation program at the STAR Criminal Justice Center.
Brown must also pay $1,947.32 in restitution to his victim, Grandview Building Supply. Brown told Cooper his crime was the direct result of drug addiction.
“Two years ago I had an accident with a table saw and became addicted to my medication,” he said. “I turned myself in voluntarily. STAR was my suggestion.
“I’ve been clean two months. I’ve relapsed four times. This has been the straw that broke the camel’s back.”