Financial analyst steals $46K from West Virginia hospital

Ayla Ellison -

A former financial analyst for Pleasant Valley Hospital in Point Pleasant, W.Va., faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to embezzling more than $46,000 from the hospital, according to the Department of Justice.

As a financial analyst, Kevin Durst had access to Pleasant Valley Hospital's online bank accounts and could initiate wire transfers on some of those accounts. He admitted to transferring funds from active hospital accounts to a dormant account he knew wouldn't be scrutinized by hospital officials. He used the funds transferred to the dormant account for his personal use.

Mr. Durst also admitted to writing checks to himself from the dormant hospital account, and wiring funds from the hospital account to the Internal Revenue Service to make federal tax payments for his family's cemetery, according to the Justice Department.

Mr. Durst embezzled the funds from the hospital between July 20, 2016, and Aug. 22, 2016. He agreed to pay $46,021 in restitution to the hospital before he is sentenced.

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