Former credit union official barred in April; admitted to embezzling more than $250k

A former president and CEO of Skyline Financial Federal Credit Union, Waterbury, Conn., who reportedly pleaded guilty in December to embezzling more than $250,000 from the credit union has been barred permanently from any future involvement in the affairs of any federally insured financial institution.

Tara Kewalis, according to a National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) consent order of prohibition, was president and CEO of the credit union from September 2016 until her termination in March 2021. Kewalis, according to a December release from the U.S. attorney’s office in Connecticut, “used her position to access the credit union’s accounting system to create fraudulent accounts and make fraudulent entries, and steal $254,532 in credit union funds.” It said she pleaded guilty in U.S. district court to one count of embezzlement by a credit union officer or employee, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.

Kewalis was one of three individuals prohibited by the NCUA in April. The other two are:

  • Shelton Jordan, Sr., a former supervisory committee chairman of the now-defunct Portsmouth Schools Federal Credit Union, Portsmouth, Va., who the NCUA said embezzled more than $95,000 from the credit union. The order states that because of Jordan’s actions, the credit union “incurred significant losses and became insolvent.” The NCUA liquidated the credit union in December 2021.
  • Randi Marie Fisher, a former employee of Vantage Trust Federal Credit Union, Wilkes Barre, Pa., over findings she removed $2,050 from her teller drawer without authorization and misappropriated the funds for her own purposes.

NCUA Prohibits Three Individuals from Participating in the Affairs of Any Federally Insured Depository Institution

Former President of Waterbury Credit Union Admits Embezzling $250K