Former Alabama bank president pleads guilty to identity theft in $100,000 fraud scheme

John Kevin Vann

A former bank president already sentenced to federal prison has now pleaded guilty on state charges for issuing fraudulent loans and using the money for himself.

John Kevin Vann, 57, pleaded to a charge of identity theft in Bibb County before Circuit Judge Donald McMillan on Thursday, said District Attorney Michael Jackson. He was initially charged by Bibb County authorities with identity theft, first-degree forgery and first-degree theft of property.

Vann, the former president of Trustmark National Bank in Bibb County, was given a five-year suspended sentence during Thursday's court proceedings.

Vann in 2016 was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by 60 months of probation. He was also ordered to pay more than $120,774 in restitution to the bank. He had worked in the banking industry for more than 25 years and was named president of the BankTrust branch in Centreville in 2011. BankTrust later merged with Trustmark.

Authorities said Vann, of Tuscaloosa, had access to customer names, addresses and other personal information that he used to take out 31 fraudulent loans. He redirected the proceeds of the loans to himself, to businesses he controlled, or to his creditors.

Documents show the loans ranged from $2,500 to $25,250. Some of the loans were new, while others were refinances of loans used to pay off others. Many of the loans were never paid and were charged off by the bank.

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