Fake Robbery, Real Jail Time

⏱ 2 min read

Nicole Hilstolsky, 48, of Swoyersville, Pennsylvania, is heading to federal prison for eight months after admitting she pilfered $16,247 from the WOD Federal Credit Union back on October 15, 2018. But the theft wasn’t enough – she tried to pass it off as a violent robbery. The now-defunct credit union was her mark, and a fabricated crime scene, her failed cover-up.

Instead of coming clean, Hilstolsky dialed 911, concocting a story about multiple armed attackers. She stashed the stolen cash inside the credit union for several days, hoping the dust would settle before she grabbed it. A desperate, sloppy play that unravelled quickly.

Federal investigators – the FBI and the Forty Fort Police Department – weren’t buying it. They dug into the details, exposing Hilstolsky’s scheme and proving the robbery never happened. She pleaded guilty last December, avoiding a trial and a potentially longer sentence.

Judge Robert D. Mariani handed down the eight-month sentence today, sending a message that lying to law enforcement and attempting to defraud financial institutions won’t pay. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case, securing the conviction.