NCUA Investigates Wallingford Municipal FCU

WALLINGFORD, Conn.-NCUA is looking into Wallingford Municipal Federal Credit Union for violations of suspicious activity reporting regulations, according to a report from the Record-Journal of Connecticut. The news source reported that a former employee of the credit union was to be arraigned for stealing about $27,000. According to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Record-Journal, Dawn Hendricks, 23, accessed 15 member accounts without authorization between July and October but later returned the money to seven of the accounts; the $27,000 came from the other eight accounts. However, the article also said it was unclear whether Hendrick's arrest led to the NCUA's investigation. The Record-Journal said Detective Michael Colavolpe suggested that the credit union initiate new security measures back in 2004 when several cash shortages popped up; he found it to be an internal problem. As of January 2005, a resignation letter from former board member Kathryn F. Zandri said they had not been implemented. NCUA Director of Public and Congressional Affairs John McKechnie said he could not discuss the ongoing case. He did point to the agency's Part 748, which states that federally insured credit unions must file properly completed Suspicious Activity Reports within 30 days when a crime is suspected and generally keep these on file for five years. Failure to properly file a SAR "may subject the federally-insured credit union, its officers, directors, agents or other institution affiliated parties to the assessment of civil money penalties or other administrative actions." Wallingford Municipal holds $14.3 million in assets and has 2,252 members, according to NCUA.