Midlands bank teller stole hundreds of thousands of dollars for eating, shopping

A Midlands bank teller who confessed to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars was sentenced to jail Wednesday.

Jennifer Lyons Martin, 35, was sentenced to six months in jail and six months home confinement in federal court in Columbia for Theft by a Bank Employee, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Beth Drake.

In addition to her jail sentence, the Ehrhardt woman was ordered to pay $296,000 in restitution and perform 500 hours of community service.

Martin worked for South State Bank in the Bamberg branch as a vault teller, and during a 2015 audit more than $100,000 was discovered missing, according to Drake’s office.

Martin confessed to taking almost $300,000, Drake’s office said. From 2013-15, Martin had two personal checking accounts and four savings accounts at South State into which she funneled the money.

She spent almost all of it on restaurants, shopping, travel, and living expenses, according to Drake’s office.

This story was originally published December 20, 2017 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Midlands bank teller stole hundreds of thousands of dollars for eating, shopping."