Bank teller admits to stealing $79,000 from senior customers in Kentucky, feds say

A Kentucky bank teller accused of targeting seniors in a scheme to steal nearly $80,000 is going to prison, authorities say.

Rebecca Teegarden pleaded guilty to theft by a bank employee and aggravated identity theft after she was caught stealing from customers at the First National Bank of Brooksville, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Brooksville is about 60 miles northeast of Lexington.

From 2013 to 2019, Teegarden used customers’ account numbers to secretly withdraw cash from their accounts, stealing about $79,000, authorities say. Teegarden admitted to investigators that she selected the accounts of seniors less likely to frequently monitor their bank accounts, authorities say.

On Wednesday, a federal judge sentenced Teegarden to three years in prison. She must serve at least 85% of the sentence and remain on probation for five years after her release, authorities say.