Deborah Cornett Sentenced for $365,988.43 Embezzlement

TYLER, TEXAS – It’s a grim tale of financial misdeeds in the Eastern District of Texas. Deborah Cornett, a 55-year-old from Murchison, has been handed down a tough sentence for her role in a multi-year embezzlement scheme that siphoned nearly $365,988.43 from the First State Bank of Ben Wheeler.

Cornett, who pleaded guilty on June 9, 2014, to embezzlement by a bank employee, now faces over four years behind bars following her sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount specified.

Details of the crime reveal Cornett’s tenure as an officer and employee at the First State Bank of Ben Wheeler from November 2007 to May 2013. During this time, she systematically embezzled funds from payroll accounts, Christmas Club savings, certificates of deposit, and through fraudulent bank loans.

The investigation into Cornett’s deceit was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld leading the prosecution. This conviction serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of financial corruption within our institutions.

With this sentence, U.S. Attorney John M. Bales has once again demonstrated the Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse their positions in the financial sector accountable for their actions.