Woman sentenced to pay restitution for bad checks

STAFF REPORT

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — A woman must pay $44,619 restitution for writing bad checks between two credit unions.

Leslie Austin, 48, of North Shenango Street pleaded guilty to a charge of bad checks, a first-degree misdemeanor, and was sentenced Thursday in Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas.

Judge Dominick Motto ordered her to pay $35,072 to GNC Community Federal Credit Union and $9,546 to CUNA Mutual Group, the bonding company for Family 1st Federal Credit Union. Both credit unions are in New Castle.

She was charged by New Castle police in October 2007 with check kiting between GNC and Family First.

Police were contacted by an officer of GNC about the scheme, according to an affidavit of probable cause on file with the court.

Kiting, according to the affidavit, is when a person has two or more checking accounts with different banks and uses checks to transfer money between banks to cover shortages.

GNC officials told police they confronted Austin, and she took full responsibility for what she did.

She told police she had financial trouble because of a vehicle accident, and she decided to write the first check when she needed money for a large bill.

To keep that check from bouncing, she wrote more checks, and the situation snowballed, the affidavit says.

She told police she knew what she was doing when she committed the crime, and that she used the money for living expenses, the affidavit says.

Austin must also pay court costs and is on probation for five years.