Prosecutors: Zimmerman's Wife Used Small Transfers To Hide $100,000

UPDATE: Prosecutors say that Shellie Zimmerman did more than just lie about her and her husband's finances to help secure a lower bond for the 28-year-old neighborhood-watch volunteer accused of the second-degree murder of Trayvon Martin. They also say she used a series of small bank transfers to hide more than $100,000 from the court.

According to records presented in the state's perjury case against Shellie Zimmerman, she transferred $74,000 out of her husband George's credit union account into her own ahead of his initial bond hearing, moving funds in eight installations ranging between $7,500 and $9,900, the Associated Press reports. An additional $47,000 was transferred to her sister-in-law. Shortly after her husband was released on bail, Zimmerman transferred $85,000 back into his account.

George Zimmerman's defense lawyer has previously said that his client's failure to disclose more than $100,000 raised for his defense via a website was a simple misunderstanding and not an intentional bid to deceive the judge about his finances to keep his bond low. The judge has since revoked George Zimmerman's bond.

Prosecutors allege that George not only knew of the transfers but instructed his wife to make them from jail, according to CNN. They presented transcripts of phone calls made from jail in which the couple discussed the funds raised from his website and he directed her to move the money. Prosecutors claim they spoke about amounts in a simple code, using "$15" to mean "$150,000" for instance.

Typically, banks have an obligation to report cash transfers above $10,000 to government agencies. If Shellie Zimmerman is found to have deliberately designed the transfers to keep them below the mark, she may face federal criminal charges in addition to the state charge of perjury.

Tuesday, June 12: George Zimmerman's wife Shellie was charged Tuesday with perjury for allegedly lying about her husband's financial status during his initial April bond hearing.

The Associated Press reports that authorities charged her with one count of making false statements. According to msnbc.com, Florida deputies arrested the 25-year-old at around 3:30 p.m. ET, and she was later booked into the John E. Polk Correctional Facility and later released on a $1,000 bond, according to local officials.

Earlier this month, a Florida judge revoked George Zimmerman's bond at the request of prosecutors, who say that the couple lied to the court about their finances to secure a lower bond. During George's initial bond hearing, Shellie testified that she and her husband had limited funds to pay for his bail and legal costs, and Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester ultimately allowed Zimmerman to be released on a $150,000 bond.

Several days later, however, Zimmerman's attorney acknowledged that this client had raised more than $200,000 from a website, a sum that was not disclosed during the bond hearing. (Prosecutors say the PayPal account in question had about $135,000 in it at the time of the hearing.) Zimmerman's defense lawyer, meanwhile, said that the undisclosed cash was simply a misunderstanding and not an effort to deceive the court.

George Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder for shooting and killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, something that the 28-year-old neighborhood watch volunteer claims was done in self-defense.