Former Lawrence credit union manager ordered to pay more than $173,000 in restitution for embezzlement

Former Jayhawk Federal Credit Union manager Karolyn J. Stattelman, 43, of Topeka, was sentenced Tuesday to three years of probation and ordered to pay more than $173,600 in restitution after pleading guilty in June to one count of theft from a credit union.

In her plea, Stattelman admitted embezzling more than $93,500 and allowing teller Christi Marie Hout, 38, of Lawrence, to steal more than $81,000 from the credit union at 2901 Lakeview Road, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said in June.

Stattelman manipulated credit union accounts for money orders, share drafts, ATM and returned checks in order to conceal the thefts, Grissom said in a news release Tuesday.

Hout pleaded guilty to embezzlement in June. Hout was accused of writing checks on her personal and business accounts when she did not have sufficient funds to cover them between July 2010 and May 2013, Grissom said.

Hout will be sentenced Jan. 7. She faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1 million.