Former Bank Officer Pleads Guilty To Fraud

Former Bank Officer Pleads Guilty To Fraud

By David Howell

Editor

GREENVILLE – Sentencing is scheduled in July for a former vice president of a Water Valley bank who pled guilty to a single count of federal bank fraud last Thursday during a 25-minute hearing in U.S. District Court in Greenville.

William Pullen was charged in September in a two-count indictment that alleged he perpetrated a scheme from 2009 to 2014 that included manipulating bank records and generating credit without the knowledge of borrowers, extending terms to benefit borrowers, moving money without knowledge of account holders and embezzling money from customer accounts for personal benefit. In the second count, the indictment alleged Pullen embezzled approximately $20,000 from Mechanics Bank for his own personal benefit by causing a series of unauthorized transactions and extensions of credit involving bank customers.

After multiple delays, Pullen was scheduled for trial on February 29 before changing his plea from not guilty to guilty and entering into a plea agreement on February 25. In Thursday’s hearing, Pullen agreed to plead guilty to Count One of the Indictment, according to court documents. As part of the agreement, the court agrees not to charge the defendant with any other offenses arising from or related to the charge and to dismiss all other counts of the Indictment upon conclusion of sentencing.

Also as part of the plea agreement, the Court may also order restitution and prohibits the defendant from further participation with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).  

Pullen remains out on a $5,000 bond.