Claudia Rawes, Embezzlement, Virginia 2023

Lynchburg, Virginia – In a stunning display of financial deceit, Claudia Rawes, 61, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release for embezzling $1.97 million from the Centra Health Credit Union.

Rawes, a former manager at the credit union, was hired in 1990 and began managing the Lynchburg General Hospital branch around 2005. However, her tenure was marred by a pattern of theft and embezzlement that spanned over two decades.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Bubar, Rawes began embezzling funds from the credit union in the early 1990s, using a variety of methods to conceal her actions. She wrote checks from corporate accounts to pay off her personal credit cards, altered financial statements to hide the shortfall, and even provided tampered statements to examiners.

The investigation, conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the Virginia State Police, revealed a staggering shortfall of over $1 million between the credit union’s books and its actual bank deposits.

Rawes’ actions not only caused financial harm to the credit union but also eroded the trust of its members and employees. Her sentence serves as a stark reminder of the severity of white-collar crimes and the importance of accountability in financial institutions.

In addition to her prison sentence, Rawes was ordered to pay $1.97 million in restitution to Centra Health Credit Union. The case highlights the need for vigilant oversight and robust internal controls to prevent such crimes from occurring in the future.

The sentencing of Claudia Rawes marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for the victims of her crimes. As a society, we must remain vigilant in our efforts to prevent and prosecute financial crimes, protecting the integrity of our financial systems and maintaining public trust.

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