A former operations officer blamed her addiction to painmedications for embezzling more than $400,000 from a credit union'svault and the accounts of elderly members over seven years.

Jade Carnahan, 35, of Scappoose, Ore., was sentenced Monday to18 months in prison for bank larceny at the $4.7 million,806-member Rivergate Federal Credit Union in Portland, according tothe Portland office of the FBI. In April, Carnahan pleaded guiltyto the felony charge.

In March, Rivergate FCU merged with the $234 million,17,501-member NW Priority Credit Union, also in Portland.

U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez in Portland also orderedCarnahan to serve three years of supervised release following herrelease from prison and to repay $408,062 in restitution, accordingto court records.

As the credit union's operations officer, Carnahan had access tocustomer account information. Between July 2005 and July 2012, sheembezzled more than $400,000 from the vault and from at least 18member accounts, including elderly members, according to U.S.Attorney Amanda Marshall in Portland.

At sentencing, Carnahan blamed an addiction on pain medicationsin accepting responsibility for her crime, Marshall said.

“Crimes like this are especially offensive when perpetratedagainst seniors and have a lasting effect on the trust we place inour financial institutions,” Marshall said in a statement.

Drug abuse helps to drive crimes of opportunity, said GregoryFowler, special agent in charge of the FBI in Oregon, in astatement.

“In this case, the defendant was in a position of trust to guardher bank's funds and those of its customers,” Fowler said. “Shebroke that trust, using her access as a bank employee to feed adrug habit.”