Woman with two local homes allegedly embezzled $4.4 million

A woman who owns two houses in the Jim Thorpe Area School District, as well as numerous other homes, is accused of misappropriating $4.4 million from National Penn Bank in Boyertown.

Roberta Stutzman, 62, faces a maximum sentence of 63 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a $2.1 million fine, a $300 special assessment, and restitution.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the sale of her five homes, seven motor vehicles, and numerous other assets.

Stutzman had been employed at the bank when the alleged embezzlement occurred.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise S. Wolf said she worked in the Boyertown branch of the bank and was responsible for accounting in the retail loan operations department. As a manager, she was responsible for processing new loan information, as well as monitoring and processing transactions to the "suspense general ledger accounts."

She had access to the computer system that allowed her to create new loans and to adjust amounts in the suspense accounts. She also had override authority on the system and was able to create and process certain adjustments.

Allegedly she misappropriated a total of $4,414,538 in U.S. currency.

Homes Stutzman owns, according to the Justice Department, are located at:

• 42 Hughes Lane, Jim Thorpe.

• 1155 Elliot Road, Albrightsville.

• 61 Homestead Drive, Boise, Idaho.

• 75 Homestead Drive, Boise, Idaho.

• 3041 Chestnut Hill Road, Pottstown.

Besides seeking to have Stutzman forfeit her property, the U.S. Justice Department is also seeking her 2006 Buick Lucerne CXS, 2007 Cadillac Escalade, 2007 Chevrolet Suburban, 2006 BMW Sedan, 2008 BMW, 2006 Hummer, and 2009 BMW.

The Justice Department alleges Stutzman fraudulently opened two lines of credit under false names and two lines of credit under her name and her husband's name.

Stutzman stole money from these lines of credit to pay off her own debts. She also transferred money from these lines of credits to other amounts including accounts in the name of third parties. These third parties benefitted by receiving substantial money transfers, gifts of jewelry, real property, vehicles and furniture, paid vacations, paid child care expenses, and regular and significant monthly payments of credit card debt and mortgage debt.

She is charged with regularly assessing the bank computer database to delete the accrued interest on the fictitious lines of credit.

The time period for the alleged incidents was 1996 to December 2008.

In addition, Stutzman is being accused of filing a false tax return in 2007 by not reporting approximately $719,571 in additional income, which stemmed from the embezzled funds.