2-Year Prison Sentence for College Employee for Wire Fraud | Inside Higher Ed

Beth Bing, a former employee of Unity College in Maine, has been sentenced to two years in prison for wire fraud.

Bing worked in the college’s business office and used corporate credit cards to take more than $500,000 from the nonprofit college, which is located in central Maine.

In a court hearing conducted via Zoom, Bing expressed remorse for her actions and said she would attempt to pay back the money, according to a report by the Bangor Daily News.

“To take half a million dollars from this small college with a unique mission was, in my view, an act of meanness and selfishness,” said John Woodcock, U.S. District Court judge, during the sentencing hearing. “Her motive appears to be merely greed. The defendant has a moral blind spot in her character, and it’s important that the punishment fit this crime.”

Bing pleaded guilty to wire fraud in November 2020 and faced up to 20 years in prison. As part of a plea deal, Bing acknowledged that she spent the money on personal expenses including gambling and cross-country travel over a four-year period.