FRANKFORT, Ky. — A former Northern Kentucky bank manager has pleaded guilty to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in connection with a bank fraud scheme, according to federal prosecutors.
On Thursday, Reagan France, 36, appeared in U.S. District Court in Covington and pleaded guilty to federal charges of bank fraud, theft by bank employee and aggravated identity theft. France's sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 13, 2027.
France was the branch manager of Home Savings Bank in Ludlow. From at least 2022 through 2024, she embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars through unlawful transactions on more than 20 customer accounts, including two nonprofit organizations where she volunteered, according to federal prosecutors.
France used the credentials of other bank employees and forged cash withdrawal slips to make the transactions appear legitimate. In total, she stole approximately $335,000. As part of her guilty plea, France was ordered to pay restitution, prosecutors said.
"When a bank employee paid to protect customers' money instead uses their position to steal from them, meaningful accountability is necessary," Attorney General Coleman said. "I'm grateful for the incredible work of talented investigators and prosecutors to secure this outcome."
“We hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethics and security,” said Stephanie Berry, president of Home Savings Bank, previously said in a written statement. ”Maintaining the trust of our customers is our highest priority. We deeply regret that these incidents occurred and are fully committed to making things right for those affected.”
The statement indicates that any affected customers have been reimbursed and that the bank has cooperated with law enforcement officials on the investigation. France apparently left the bank on the last day of 2024; court documents state she resigned. The bank declined to comment further when contacted.
Watch: WCPO talked to Reagan in 2020 after the election she won by just one vote
France was first hired as a bank teller in 2015. She famously secured a spot on the Bromley City Council by just one vote in 2020.
In more than 100 unauthorized transactions, according to court documents, France moved money out of customer accounts in three primary ways. The first was by simply moving cash out of accounts and into accounts belonging either to her or her family members.
The second way was by removing cash from customer accounts and then forging withdrawal slips to make it seem like customers had removed the money themselves.
Finally, she would stop payment on escrow refund checks, issuing new checks in a reduced amount and depositing the difference to other customer accounts to reimburse them for previous unauthorized withdrawals, according to court documents, essentially moving money around between accounts in an effort to cover her tracks. France allegedly used multiple bank teller ID numbers to pull this off.
The Attorney General's Department of Criminal Investigations led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Winslow prosecuted the case on behalf of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
