MADISON — A former employee at Midwest Bank in Norfolk was spared a prison sentence on Friday but will spend weekends in jail for most of the remainder of the year.
Jordan Wintz
Jordan Wintz, 30, of Pierce was sentenced by District Judge Mark Johnson to 4 years of probation and 48 days in jail — ordered to be served on 24 consecutive weekends beginning Friday — for unauthorized use of a financial transaction device. She faced up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in March.
The date range of Wintz’s crimes is July 2021 to October 2022, during which she was an employee at Midwest Bank. In her position, Wintz had access to a company credit card, which she was authorized to use for small, business-related purchases. She also was tasked with reconciling employee credit card statements with submitted receipts.
Wintz’s employment ended when she decided to resign to run a daycare in Pierce. Shortly before her employment ended, she’d experienced problems with her vehicle, so Midwest Bank allowed her to borrow a company vehicle so she had transportation, said Doug Johnson, the bank’s president and CEO, who testified on Friday.
“And instead of being thankful and having gratitude, she turned around and used the bank credit card to pay the $1,200 repair bill (on her vehicle) and then go and alter the receipts that she submitted,” Johnson said.
A subsequent forensic review of the bank’s accounts showed that Wintz used a company credit card to make numerous personal purchases, which she was not authorized to do. She altered various credit card statements provided by other employees to hide her own purchases.
Wintz was found to have misused $27,280.87 through 484 transactions during her employment at the bank, Johnson testified.
Johnson said he was shocked and felt betrayed when he learned of Wintz’s misdeeds, adding that he was greatly concerned about the bank’s reputation.
Kayla Becker, the bank’s internal auditor, testified that records showed Wintz used the card to purchase concert tickets, hotel rooms for a family vacation, household items, daycare items and clothing.
As part of the financial review process, Johnson contacted the Federal Reserve and the FBI. He said the money Wintz took from Midwest Bank was the least of the cost, as Becker and other staff spent two months researching and reviewing finances. The bank also spent money on legal fees arising from Wintz’s actions, according to Johnson, who said the bank lost up to four times the amount actually stolen by Wintz.
“The banking industry is built on trust,” Johnson said. “Our depositors trust us, our employees trust us, trust each other, the community trusts us. And when things like this happen … the first thing is to fight for the defense of our reputation, which we will guard at all costs at any time.”
Johnson said he wanted to make sure the public’s perspective on Wintz’s actions is clear.
“This wasn't a mistake, this wasn't an oversight, this wasn't the bank picking on Jordan,” he said. “It wasn't a miscommunication. It was a premeditated, deliberate and intentional criminal act that cost us a lot of money.”
He added that he didn’t wish ill will on Wintz but hoped that she would take accountability and be honest with her loved ones about what happened.
In exchange for Wintz pleading guilty, Madison County Attorney Joe Smith recommended probation and agreed not to file additional charges. Wintz finished paying restitution on Friday.
“The bank took a (heck) of a hit otherwise,” Smith said. “They have an auditor who spent all those hours, took a hit on their reputation and they don’t trust people anymore.”
At the crux of Wintz’s case is a betrayal of trust, Smith said, arguing that there’d been “quite an effort” by Wintz to cover up her acts and an absence of remorse.
Wintz’s attorney, Allison Mason, asked Judge Johnson to consider probation for Wintz. She acknowledged that probation is “a big ask” given the crime charged and the amount of money taken, but Wintz had assumed responsibility for what happened, paid restitution and lacks a criminal history.
“This is the first time she's gotten in trouble with the law and she wants it to be her last,” Mason said. “There's no reason to think that she wouldn't respond well to probation.”
Mason said a term of incarceration would entail excessive hardship on Wintz’s husband and two young children. The Pierce community also would be dealt difficulty if Wintz was jailed because of the lack of child care options there, the defense attorney added.
Wintz, holding back tears, read a statement to the judge in which she apologized to Midwest Bank.
“I'm terribly sorry for what I did and everything that it has cost them,” she said. “What I did was wrong. I don't know why I did what I did, and I wish I had an explanation, but there's no excuse for my actions. But I hope you know that I regret my actions, and I will for the rest of my life.”
Wintz said she would love nothing more than to wipe the slate clean with the bank but realized that’s an unrealistic expectation.
“They trusted me and I took advantage of them, and I'm terribly sorry,” Wintz said.
Judge Johnson concurred, saying that people in the area would like to believe that others are trustworthy.
“Because of this incident, I imagine the bank is not so much so anymore, so that takes a little bit away from the community in that we all, more and more, realize there are things out there in this world that are not to be trusted.”
Others appeared for sentencing on the following:
Second-degree forgery ($500-$1,500) — three counts
— Myranda R. Butler, 40, 701 N. 10th St., 18 months’ probation, 90 days in the Madison County Jail before probation ends, costs.
Possession of methamphetamine, protection order violation
— Jessica L. Elznic, 46, Madison County Jail, 300 days in the Madison County Jail with credit for 5 days served, costs.
Driving under the influence (refusal of test) — third offense
— Trinidad Macias-Rangel, 33, 2604 W. Madison Ave., 48 months’ probation, 60 days in the Madison County Jail with credit for 2 days served, $1,000, license revoked for 15 years, costs.
Possession of methamphetamine
— Gwendolyn Vinson, 33, Lincoln, 24 months’ specialized substance abuse supervision, 90 days in the Madison County Jail before probation ends, costs.
— Pedro De Leon Jr., 49, Omaha, 20 months in the Nebraska Department of Corrections with credit for 79 days served, costs.
Second-degree forgery ($1,500-$5,000), second-degree forgery ($500-$1,500)
— Patrick L. Spagnotti, 54, Madison County Jail, 30 months in the Nebraska Department of Corrections with credit for 57 days served, costs.
Attempted first-degree false imprisonment, third-degree domestic assault, failure to appear
— Ricardo Valenzuela, 31, Madison County Jail, 18 months in the Nebraska Department of Corrections with credit for 34 days served, costs.
Attempted possession of methamphetamine, protection order violation — second offense, obstructing a police officer, theft by shoplifting ($0-$500) — three counts
— Lee F. Weinacht, 36, Omaha, 25 months in the Nebraska Department of Corrections with credit for 47 days served, costs.
