An appeals court in Binh Dinh Province upheld the life sentence given to a former BIDV bank teller who was convicted of stealing roughly US$1.48 million from her employer.

On Thursday, the Supreme People’s Court officially denied the appeal filed by Ho Thi Thu Huong, 33, who was first sentenced to life last April for embezzlement, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.

According to the indictment, Huong capitalized on the “loose and irresponsible management” at a local branch of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam, the country’s second largest bank by assets, and stole more than VND31.3 billion.

She reportedly concealed her crimes by generating fake withdrawal slips and loan applications.

Huong transferred VND5.24 billion ($247,500) of the stolen money into her brother-in-law Vo Hong Son's account.

Son was sentenced to 15 years in jail for serving as her accomplice.

Huong was also ordered to recover nearly VND26.4 billion she has yet to return to the bank.