Liberty Bank was rocked by a financial scandal as its manager, Matthew S. Liebheit, 39, from Moro, IL, faces charges of embezzlement and false bank entries. Liebheit has been accused of stealing over $200,000 from the bank’s vaults.
The alleged crime came to light when Liebheit reported a supposed bank robbery on December 13, 2014. He claimed that a masked individual forced him into the bank at gunpoint, but further investigation revealed that his own truck was used by the suspect. Inside the vehicle, authorities found a bundle of ten dollar bills.
It turned out to be a case of inside job as Liebheit is said to have altered withdrawal documents from a customer’s account and falsified documentation to show an inflated deposit. The day prior to the alleged robbery, he had falsified records.
Liebheit is scheduled for his initial appearance today at 11 a.m. in federal court in East St. Louis. If convicted, he faces up to thirty years in federal prison, a fine of $1,000,000, and five years of supervised release.
A criminal complaint only begins the federal prosecution process, and Liebheit is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bethalto Police Department, with Assistant United States Attorney Laura Reppert handling the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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