A former bank employee from Morrisonville, Illinois was arrested by the FBI Thursday after an indictment accused her of embezzling about $439,000.

Samantha J. Cherry, 35, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on October 26, 2022, on one felony count of theft or embezzlement by a bank officer. The indictment says she took the money from a UMB Bank branch in St. Louis between Jan. 1, 2021, and March 18, 2022.

Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted, the charge carries a potential penalty of up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, or both. 

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Roy is prosecuting the case.