Former Highland bank official pleads guilty to stealing $174,000

A former Illinois bank supervisor pleaded guilty Friday to a bank fraud charge accusing her of stealing about $174,000 from her employer and a Highland charitable foundation.

Michelle Knebel, 38, of Pocahontas, admitted to using the First Mid-Illinois Bank's computerized banking software to transfer funds to her personal account from 2002 through June 2008, while she was employed as vice president and regional deposit supervisor of the bank.

Knebel also admitted to taking funds from a bank account held by the Highland School Charitable Foundation, where she served as bookkeeper, and from individual account holders.

"The bank has replenished the money to the account holders' accounts and therefore no bank customers have sustained a monetary loss," according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Knebel faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, at least five years supervised release and mandatory restitution.

Knebel is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 4.