Fake Robbery, Real Theft: 8 Months for CU Crook

⏱ 2 min read

Nicole Hilstolsky, 48, of Swoyersville, PA, walked into federal court in Scranton today and got 8 months in prison for a pathetic scheme. Back on October 15, 2018, she didn’t just steal $16,247 from the now-defunct WOD Federal Credit Union – she tried to pin it on masked gunmen. The attempt failed, and today she paid the price.

Hilstolsky initially called 911, claiming two armed robbers had hit the credit union, emptying the teller and the safe. Cops responded, but the story smelled wrong from the jump. The FBI and Forty Fort Police started digging, and quickly discovered Hilstolsky had stashed the cash inside the credit union for a few days, hoping the heat would cool down. It didn’t.

She pleaded guilty in December 2025, admitting she’d concocted the whole robbery tale. A far cry from a sophisticated heist, it was a desperate attempt to cover her tracks and avoid responsibility for her greed.

Eight months is just a start. Hilstolsky will also spend two years on supervised release after she gets out. It’s a small penalty for a scheme that wasted valuable police resources and further damaged a credit union already on its way out.