Woman pleads guilty in bank fraud scheme
By Staff
A Hartselle woman pled guilty last week to bank fraud in connection with a scheme at a Decatur bank.
Leigh Ann Smith, 41, of Hartselle, pled guilty to one count of bank fraud. Smith was card services manager at First American Bank. Prosecutors said Smith opened a Visa Gold credit card in her husband’s name and Social Security number and then made cash advances from the card to Compass Bank, where she had previously been employed.
From June 2005 to November 2007, prosecutors said Smith increased the credit card limit to $350,000 then altered reporting to eliminate any payments, reports to the credit bureaus, finance charges or interest. She later attempted to withdraw cash from the account.
As of February, the Visa Gold credit card carried a balance of some $290,000.
Smith faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
