Greene County woman sentenced for fraud

Betty McCullah, 59, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Dean Whipple to 27 months in federal prison for bank fraud and a year for income tax fraud. The sentences will run concurrently.

On Jan. 30, McCullah pleaded guilty to bank fraud, admitting that she opened a bank account at Citizens National Bank in the name of her then former employer, Springfield Travel Service Inc., and submitted a forged signature card in the name of the company’s owner. She then diverted checks due to the company totaling $295,000 into the account.

On June 28, McCullah pleaded guilty to income tax fraud in a separate case, admitting to claiming income of only $48,613 in 2003 when she actually had income of more than $97,000.

In addition to prison time, McCullah was ordered to pay $295,112 in restitution to Springfield Travel Service, and $69,938 to the Internal Revenue Service in back taxes.

McCullah was president of Springfield Travel Service until 2004, according to office manager Dianne Fugitt, who assured that the company’s clients haven’t been affected by the incident.

“We consider it a personal loss of a friend and co-worker, and we’re sorry that it came to this,” Fugitt said. “We look forward to just going forward and getting it all behind us.”

The company provides full travel services and specializes in humanitarian and missionary travel.