Former Loan Officer Sentenced in Local Embezzlement Case

ST. CLOUD -- A former loan officer at AgStar Financial Services has been sentenced in a theft-by-swindle case. The Stearns County Attorney's Office says 46-year-old Tammy Storms of Clearwater was sentenced to just under three years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of theft-by-swindle.

Court records show Storms set up loans in other people's names and used the money for herself. One of the loans was in her father-in-law's name. Another was taken out in a man's name who never took out a loan, but inquired about one and later died.

Storms also set up a business partnership and P.O. Box to funnel the money to herself. She told investigators she used the money to pay bills.

Along with the prison sentence, Storms must pay a more than $144,000 in restitution.