A Rapid City woman has been sentenced to federal prison for her involvement in bank fraud and theft. United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler sentenced Ashley Viken, 41, on February 10, 2025.
Viken was convicted of one count of bank fraud and six counts of theft by a credit union employee. She received an 11-month federal prison sentence followed by five years of supervised release. Additionally, she must pay a $700 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and restitution totaling $119,085.95—$50,000 to Black Hills Federal Credit Union (BHFCU) and $69,085.95 to CUMIS Insurance Society, Inc.
The indictment against Viken included one count of bank fraud and 28 counts of theft by a credit union employee filed by a federal grand jury in August 2024. She pleaded guilty on November 26, 2024.
The charges stem from actions taken between July 2022 and March 2024 while Viken worked as an accountant at BHFCU. During this period, she devised a scheme involving writing cashier’s checks worth $119,085.95 from an account owned by BHFCU under false pretenses such as reissuing or refunding money to members but instead depositing these checks into accounts she controlled for personal gain.
Viken's fraudulent activities were uncovered following an investigation conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson led the prosecution.
She has been ordered to self-surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service at a future date.