Bloomfield Credit Union Employee Sentenced to Prison

She blamed it on her shopping obsession.

A former account manager at XCEL Federal Credit Union in Bloomfield was sentenced to seven years in prison today for stealing nearly $3 million from her employer, said acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray.

Colleth Merle Rhodes, 54, of Staten Island, N.Y. and Elizabeth, N.J., was charged with one count of second-degree theft for transferring nearly $3 million of company funds to a fictitious account. She pleaded guilty on June 11 and was sentenced Friday by Superior Court Judge Peter V. Ryan.

She said during her guilty plea that a shopping obsession contributed to her participation in the theft.

Rhodes pleaded guilty to stealing the money by transferring to another account from 2005 to 2010.   According to the prosecutor’s office, the fake account was in the name of a family member who lived with Rhodes in Staten Island, N.Y. at the time.

A review of the transactions Rhodes made to the account revealed that once the funds were transferred, several withdrawals were made from the account using checks and via ATM.

“This was a significant abuse of her employer’s trust and the penalty reflects that abuse,’’ said Assistant Prosecutor Robert L. Grady, who handled the case.