Two former employees of the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office in West Virginia have been indicted on federal charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and multiple counts of bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced.
A federal grand jury returned the five-count indictment against Barbara Gail Gooden, 60, and Lisa Lee French, 48, both of Martinsburg. Prosecutors allege the pair carried out a scheme spanning nearly two decades — from 2007 to 2024 — in which they embezzled cash payments collected by the Sheriff’s Office and manipulated conservatorship and estate bank accounts administered by the office.
According to the indictment, Gooden and French issued fraudulent checks, forged signatures, misused a signature stamp and diverted funds for personal use. In total, the defendants allegedly executed more than 700 fraudulent transactions, including over 550 forged checks,…
HOW TO SPOT A “RED FLAG” (THE BEHAVIORAL AUDIT)
Keep an eye out for these behavioral shifts in your staff:
Refusal to take leave: Afraid someone will find their “adjustments.”
Unexplained wealth: Buying luxury items that don’t match their known salary.
Working odd hours: Preferring to work alone late at night when no one is watching the system.
“Gatekeeper” behavior: Becoming overly defensive or angry when someone asks to see their records.