Mich. ‘Robin Hood’ banker sent to prison; manager stole $340K but says she gave it away
By Ed White, APTuesday, October 6, 2009
Mich. ‘Robin Hood’ banker gets year in prison
DETROIT — A Michigan bank manager who insists she gave the $340,000 she stole over eight years to needy customers has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison.
Patricia Keezer says the embezzling began in 2000, when she would give people $2,000 at a time for car repairs, mortgage payments and taxes. She commonly reversed bounced-check charges and other fees.
The 53-year-old Keezer was manager of Citizens Bank in Manchester, 70 miles southwest of Detroit.
Prosecutors say Keezer’s claim that the crime was rooted in charity is implausible. But her attorney notes that there’s no evidence of wild spending sprees.
At Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Marianne Battani told Keezer her “Robin Hood days are over.”
