SITKA, ALASKA
No money was taken directly from any of the 3,000 shareholder accounts.
The 46-year old Weidenhof was the chief operating officer of ALPS until her dismissal in March, as the FBI investigation got underway. She currently resides in Chatsworth, Georgia.
James Wileman is the former chief executive officer of ALPS. He attended the sentencing at the federal courthouse in Anchorage. He says he watched the proceedings with feelings of justice, closure
”…and definitely a sense of sadness. I had somebody tell me a long time ago that it’s just sad because (and the judge indicated as well) Vicki never had a criminal history. For some of us who worked with her and knew her before this came to light it’s hard to believe. Hopefully this holds her accountable, deters others that might see a similar opportunity in the future from doing the wrong thing.”
US District Court Judge John Sedwick gave Weidenhof twenty-four months, and five years of supervised release. Sentencing guidelines for the Class B felony range from 21 to 27 months.
Weidenhof must also pay restitution of $187,348.
ALPS board chair Jere Christener preferred not to go on tape for this story. He says he’s satisfied with Judge Sedwick’s decision, though he thinks some people might feel the sentence should have been tougher. He’s glad this incident is behind them now.
“We’re back on the right road, and can focus on the future,” he says.
ALPS interim CEO Al Strawn and board member Roy Anderson both attended the proceedings.
Weidenhof’s sentencing concludes a difficult period for the credit union. Although the investigation had not been made public at the end of 2009, the board did not renew James Wileman’s contract. Wileman had been at ALPS for ten years, and CEO since the death of his predecessor in 2006. His apparent dismissal generated a backlash against the board that forced them to reveal details of the FBI investigation at a meeting in April. Interim CEO Al Strawn told shareholders then that a lack of “internal controls” at ALPS had “opened the door” for Weidenhof.
Wileman has never admitted falling on his sword for ALPS, but he is candid about Weidenhof’s betrayal of trust.
“You know we went through a lot at that time, and it brought us together, some of the longer-term employees. But it’s the cliché: it’s always the person you never could imagine it being. At the end of the day we have the law of the land, we have what’s right, and those things trump friendship for me.”
James Wileman is now the branch manager of the Mountain View Credit Union 1 in Anchorage.
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