Press

ALEXANDRIA, VA (March 31, 2015) – The National Credit Union Administration has issued seven orders in March prohibiting the following individuals from participating in the affairs of any federally insured financial institution:

• Vytas Apanavicius, a former bookkeeper of Taupa Lithuanian Credit Union in Cleveland, Ohio, pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit theft or embezzlement. Apanavicius was sentenced to 21 months in prison, three years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $962,689.
• John Richards, a former employee of Polk County Credit Union in Des Moines, Iowa, pleaded guilty to the charge of bank theft. Richards received one year of probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $50,795.
• Michael Rusksenas, a former employee of Taupa Lithuanian Credit Union in Cleveland, Ohio, pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit theft and embezzlement. Rusksenas was sentenced to 17 months in prison, three years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $481,502.
• Saundra Scales, a former employee of First Legacy Community Credit Union in Charlotte, North Carolina, consented to the issuance of an order of prohibition to avoid the time and expense of administrative litigation.
• Alex Spirikaitis, the former CEO of Taupa Lithuanian Credit Union in Cleveland, Ohio, pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Spirikaitis was sentenced to 130 months in prison, five years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $15 million.
• Wendy Wall, also known as Wendy Wright, a former employee of Pepsi Cola Federal Credit Union in Buena Park, California, pleaded guilty to the charge of bank fraud. Wall was sentenced to 21 months in prison, four years supervised released and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $480,273.77.
• Brandi Ward, a former employee of Dowell Federal Credit Union in Tulsa, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to the charge of embezzlement. Ward was sentenced to five years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $105,839.04.

NCUA enforcement orders are available online and for inspection at NCUA’s Office of General Counsel between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. You also may order copies by mail from NCUA, 1775 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314-3428.

Credit unions may search prohibition and administrative orders by name, institution, city, state and year at http://go.usa.gov/gFP5. The webpage also provides links to the enforcement actions of other federal banking regulators against other institutions or their affiliated parties.

Violation of a prohibition order is a felony offense punishable by imprisonment and a fine of up to $1 million.