Former Bank Vice-President Sentenced to 33 Months for Embezzling Nearly $400,000 from Church and Other Charitable Organizations

Martin C. Carlson, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Craig A. Showvaker, age 51, of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 33 months in connection with his guilty plea to mail fraud affecting a financial institution. United States District Judge John E. Jones, III, gave Mr. Showvaker until June 27, 2008 to surrender to federal authorities for commencement of his sentence.

Showvaker, the former Vice-President of Adams County National Bank, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, previously admitted that between 2001 and 2007 he embezzled $245,933.50 from the estate of Harrison F. Harbach; $8,400 from the estate of Marjorie E. Teeter; $104,890 from the Trinity United Church of Christ; $17,002.50 from the Gettysburg Lions Club; and $11,300 from the Adams County Alumni Association for Gettysburg College.

In addition to being a bank Vice-President, Showvaker was Trustee and Executor for the Harbach and Teeter estates, Treasurer for the Lions Club and Alumni Association and Financial Consultant for Trinity Church. In these capacities he managed and controlled their financial affairs and embezzled funds by simply writing himself checks out of their checking accounts. The scheme came to light in August 2007, when a $56,000 check drawn on the Trinity United Church of Christ bank account bounced. The funds were traced to a personal bank account Showvaker maintained at Susquehanna Bank.

The case was investigated by the FBI and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Bruce Brandler for prosecution.

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