Fake Robbery, Real Theft: Credit Union Worker Jailed

⏱ 3 min read

Swoyersville, PA – A desperate attempt to cover up a simple theft landed Nicole Hilstolsky, 48, eight months in federal prison. Back in October 2018, Hilstolsky, an employee of the now-defunct WOD Federal Credit Union, swiped $16,247 and then tried to pass it off as an armed robbery.

Instead of owning up to the missing cash from the teller and safe, Hilstolsky dialed 911, spinning a story about masked gunmen. Forty Fort Police responded, wasting time and resources on a phantom crime while Hilstolsky hid the money inside the credit union, planning to grab it later. The scheme quickly unraveled.

The FBI took over and didn’t buy it for a second. Investigators quickly determined the robbery was a fabrication. Hilstolsky ultimately pleaded guilty in December 2023 to one count of theft by a credit union employee, admitting to both the theft and the bogus 911 call.

Judge Robert Mariani handed down the eight-month sentence today, followed by two years of supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Buchanan handled the prosecution. Even with the credit union shuttered, Hilstolsky’s deception couldn’t save her from a trip to the slammer.