Bank employee indicted on 42 counts of fraud

Associated Press

A Hawaii National Bank employee was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday on 42 counts of bank fraud.

Gari-Ann Wise, who is accused of embezzling about $72,000, held an administrative position at the bank's main branch on King Street in Honolulu.

Wise, 39, used her position to conduct three separate schemes from November 1999 through last June, the indictment said.

U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said two of the schemes involved traveler's check.

The third involved the transfer of about $40,000 from the bank account of a traveler's check vendor to a personal account to which Wise had access, Kubo said.

Each of the 42 counts carries a maximum punishment of 30 years in prison.