Documents reveal how Waynesville woman allegedly embezzled $1.6 million
Silver Bluff Village. File photo
A week after Amy Elizabeth Curry was charged in federal court with wire fraud and money laundering, search warrants reveal how the Waynesville woman allegedly embezzled at least $1.5 million from a Haywood County senior living and care facility.
A press release sent out by the office of Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, said that Curry had been charged in federal court. That release claims that an FBI investigation uncovered that throughout the time she was employed, Curry worked a scheme to defraud and embezzle the money from Silver Bluff — a scheme she was able to, for a time, successfully execute due to her sole access to and control over the company’s bank accounts and accounting records.
“During a five-month period, Curry made at least 154 unauthorized bank transfers, and defrauded Silver Bluff by transferring at least $1.5 million from the facility’s bank accounts to bank accounts controlled by Curry and her then-boyfriend J.C. The indictment also alleges that in March 2023, Curry purchased a 2020 Ford F- 150 pick-up truck, using funds derived from the embezzlement of Silver Bluff,” the release reads.
While Curry was eventually charged in federal court, she was initially indicted in state superior court a couple months prior after a Haywood County Sheriff’s Office investigation. According to associated search warrants, Det. Taylor Yates was alerted to the situation on April 6, 2023, when a Silver Bluff administrator called to report a larceny by an employee — at that time, Silver Bluff believed Curry had stolen $1.4 million.
When Yates met with the administrator, he was told that Silver Bluff was notified by Chime — an online bank Curry was using — that a fraud investigator noticed some suspicious activity. Specifically, it was alleged that Curry had deposited $1.4 million into her accounts — as well as her boyfriend’s account — from Silver Bluff.
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During a subsequent conference call with fraud investigators from Chime and Pinnacle Bank, the investigator with Pinnacle noted that they’d located other accounts belonging to Curry that money had gone to; therefore, the total amount embezzled was likely in excess of the $1.4 million originally thought. Days later, the total was refigured to around $1.6 million. One account Curry had created had Silver Bluff in the name, a move she made as an alleged attempt to fool investigators into thinking the account was tied to her employer, even though it wasn’t.
Just prior to Yates receiving the call about Curry’s activities, Curry changed her direct deposit to a bank account with State Employee’s Credit Union, and on March 28, she transferred $9,870 and on March 29, she transferred $9,890, both just slightly lower than $10,000, the threshold at which transactions would be reported.
Yates’ investigation continued, and, according to a search warrant, on June 29, he interviewed Curry’s boyfriend, who said he “was able to withdraw money from Chime in the amount of 25 to 28 thousand. Jackie stated he handed the money to Amy who paid a few bills and placed the remaining amount into her SECU account.”
The affidavit ultimately requested that the accounts to which Curry was transferring funds be frozen for 90 days so he could wrap up his investigation without having to chase the money from one account to another. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The money laundering offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Prosecutors are seeking a money judgment in the amount of at least $1.52 million. Items seized as part of the investigation include four vehicles and a combined $117,867.49 from four bank accounts.
