Ex-GA Credit Union President Sentenced to Prison Must Repay Nearly $4.5 Million – WSB-TV Channel 2

VALDOSTA, Ga. — The former president of a Georgia credit union was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to repay nearly $4.5 million in restitution after admitting to managing a multimillion-dollar bank loan and an identity theft scheme.

Leah Lehman, 63, of Valdosta, was sentenced May 30.

She was ordered to pay $4,491,253.97 in restitution to Southern Pine Credit Union.

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Lehman pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft on October 26, 2023.

In addition to the four years in prison, she will serve two years of supervised release after her release.

His co-defendant, Teresa Paulo, of Valdosta, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft on November 2, 2023.

Paulo faces a maximum of 30 years in prison for bank fraud, and a mandatory two years in prison in addition to any other prison time imposed for aggravated identity theft, followed by a maximum of five years of supervised release and a fine of $1,000,000.

She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11.

Neither woman is eligible for parole.

“Lehman chose greed and deception, abusing his role as a trusted leader to steal millions of dollars from this credit union over the course of many years,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office, alongside our law enforcement partners, takes financial crimes seriously and we will work to hold fraudsters accountable. »

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