Former bank employee faces federal charge

Local News

A former employee at First Financial Bank in Winnebago is accused of stealing more than $370,000 from more than 40 customers.

Following an investigation by federal banking officials and the FBI in Mankato, Maggie Kay Hassing is facing one count of embezzlement by a bank employee.

A court document filed in United States District Court in St. Paul on May 16 says that Hassing began working at the bank as a teller in 2007.

From 2018 to about Sept. 20, 2023, says the grand jury indictment, Hassing devised and executed a scheme and artifice to defraud a federally-insured financial institution.

The grand jury says Hassing used “virtual” cash withdrawal tickets to fraudulently duplicate customers’ cash withdrawals and steal money from their accounts.

In total, Hassing reportedly embezzled about $372,000 from 43 different customers in approximately 1,125 fraudulently duplicated transactions.

When Hassing received a cash withdrawal ticket from a customer, she frequently scanned the ticket a second time after processing a customer’s legitimate transaction,” says the indictment. “The second ticket scan fraudulently authorized a second withdrawal of cash from the customer’s account.”

The additional tickets did not have the customer’s signature and were done without their authorization, says the indictment.

Hassing is accused of taking the cash for herself and, at times, deposited it into her own bank account at First Financial.

Hassing’s initial court hearing was held on May 20 in Minneapolis before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung and lasted 20 minutes.

Among conditions imposed include an unsecured personal recognizance bond of $25,000; no travel outside of Minnesota unless prior approval by the supervising officer; provide financial information, credit reports, credit card bills, bank statements and phone bills if requested by the supervising officer; no new credit charges or opening of additional lines of credit without prior approval; and report within 72 hours to supervising officials every contact with law enforcement personnel, arrests, questioning and traffic stops.

An arraignment hearing has been scheduled for 2 p.m. on July 19 at the U.S. Courthouse in Minneapolis with Judge Dulce J. Foster presiding.

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