Former bank manager in Kentucky pleads guilty to stealing from customers

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times - Saturday, September 12, 2026

A former bank manager in Kentucky pleaded guilty to fraud and other charges in federal court after stealing $335,000 from customers, including nonprofits she volunteered for.

Reagan France, 36, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky Thursday to charges of bank fraud, theft by a bank employee and aggravated identity theft. She is due to be sentenced on Jan. 13, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office said in a release.

France was a branch manager at Home Savings Bank in Ludlow, just southwest of Cincinnati across the Ohio River. She started work there in 2015 before being promoted to manager in 2023, according to a court filing cited by Cincinnati’s Enquirer.

From at least 2022 through 2024, France took money unlawfully from over 20 customer accounts, including two belonging to nonprofit organizations she herself volunteered for, the state attorney general’s office said.

To make the transactions look real, France used the credentials of other employees at the bank and forged withdrawal slips, ultimately stealing the $335,000. As part of her plea deal, she’s required to pay restitution, and the government in turn dropped 19 other charges initially filed against her, according to the Enquirer.

France’s time at the bank also coincided with two terms she served on the city council of nearby Bromley. She won her first election to the council in 2020 by a single vote, then won reelection in 2022, according to local news site LINK nky. She stepped down from the council in 2023, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

France left the bank at the end of 2024, Home Savings Bank said.

The bank’s president, Stephanie Berry, said in the release, “We deeply regret that these incidents occurred and are fully committed to making things right for those affected. … The bank has completed the process of identifying impacted customers, and any affected customer has been reimbursed in full. … We are taking every step necessary to prevent this from ever happening again.”