Yardley Woman Headed To Jail For Stealing $84K From Employer

YARDLEY, PA — A Yardley woman and Wells Fargo Bank employee will serve up to 23 months in prison for stealing nearly $84,000 from her branch, the Bucks County District Attorney's office announced.

Christine Ann Bate, 40, who worked at the Tullytown Wells Fargo branch, took the money over a two-year period, authorities said. She admitted stealing $7,195 from the vault of the Tullytown Wells Fargo branch, and $76,580 from the branch’s two ATM machines. She then submitted falsified entries into bank computer programs to try to hide her thefts, the District Attorney's office said.

In addition, Bate's crimes led to the firings of seven co-workers, authorities said. At the time of the thefts, Bate was service manager of the branch, and when tellers began noticing shortages to cash bundles in the vault, Bate told them to disregard the shortfalls, or that she was working on the issue.

Because they followed Bate’s directions instead of following the bank’s dual control procedures, each of the seven tellers was fired, according to court records.

“Their careers are ruined or substantially [harmed] by what you did or what you told them to do,” Bucks County Common Pleas Court Judge James M. McMaster told Bate during sentencing. “I think not imposing at least some time in jail would totally ignore the impact that your crimes have had on the community, the bank and your co-workers.”

In addition to the prison time, Bate was sentenced to 16 years and eight months of probation and 1,000 hours of community service. She was also ordered to repay all of the $83,775 she had stolen.