A former Unity College employee has pleaded guilty in federal court in Bangor to wire fraud, according to the United States Attorney’s Office in Maine.

Beth Bing, 49, of Waterville pleaded guilty Thursday to making unauthorized purchases on her Unity College credit card and using fraudulent telephone and email communications, according to court documents.

Bing, who worked in finance for the college, racked up transactions totaling $516,834, according to federal prosecutors.

From September 2015 through October 2019, Bing made “personal purchases and payments, both over the internet and in point-of-sale transactions,” without the knowledge or approval of Unity College officials, according to court records.

In a statement released Tuesday, Unity College officials said they were grateful “to the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the diligent investigation of this matter and swift resolution of the criminal process upon our request.”

“Law enforcement and the College’s own investigation showed that one former employee was responsible for the act,” the statement read, “and the College is gratified that the prosecution has delivered closure with regard to this matter.”

According to the court documents, Bing bought $150.84 worth of items from Amazon, including a wedding dress. She also made purchases at Cigaret Shopper, a store at 87 Armory Road in Waterville, and used the corporate card to obtain a $4,000 cash advance.

She also used the credit cards for personal travel, automobile repairs and other purchases, according to information gathered by the FBI and Waldo County Sheriff’s Office.

Bing, formally known as Beth Safford, faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine.

She will be sentenced following the presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.