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Charles City woman sentenced to probation for bank thefts

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Charles City woman who pleaded guilty to stealing more than $17,000 from a bank has been sentenced to five years probation and ordered to make restitution.

Cassandra Marie Lane, age 34, was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and a $1,000 fine for stealing $13,300 from another person’s bank account at First Security Bank and Trust in Charles City while Lane was employed there.

That prison sentence, fine and an additional 35 percent surcharge were suspended.

Cassandra Lane
Cassandra Lane

She was also sentenced to up to five years in prison and a $750 fine for stealing $3,988 from the bank’s internal accounts, but that prison sentence, fine and surcharge were also suspended.

Lane appeared in Floyd County District Court on Monday, where Judge James Drew announced her sentence, placed Lane on five years probation and ordered her to pay back $17,288 to the bank.

Although Lane had her prison time and fines suspended, the judge did not grant an opportunity for a deferred sentence.

The plea agreement between Lane and the Floyd County Attorney’s Office, in which Lane agreed to plead guilty to charges of first-degree theft, a Class C felony, and second-degree theft, a Class D felony, included a recommendation by the county attorney that Lane be given a deferred sentence on both charges.

If the judge had accepted that recommendation, it would have meant that the charges would have been wiped from Lane’s records if she met the conditions of her probation and restitution.

Judge Drew said he considered Lane’s “age; attitude; criminal history; and employment, financial and family circumstances; the nature of the offense; … the recommendations of the parties; and … the presentence investigation report” in making his sentencing decision.

In the plea agreement, Lane had acknowledged that the judge was not required to follow the sentencing recommendations.

Lane will also be required to provide a sample for DNA profiling and pay court fees and other charges.

Lane was charged in January with two counts of theft after an internal investigation by the bank discovered the thefts, First Security President and CEO Kurt Herbrechtsmeyer told the Press at the time.

He said Lane was fired as soon as the thefts were verified, and the bank immediately reimbursed the private account from which funds had been taken.

 

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