Odenville Man Indicted for Bank Fraud

BIRMINGHAM—A federal grand jury today indicted an Odenville man and former employee of First Financial Bank for bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick Maley, FDIC Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Jason Moran, and Postal Inspector/Domicile Coordinator Frank Dyer.

The one-count indictment charges MARC COREY MITCHELL, 41, a former manager of the First Financial Bank branch in McCalla, with bank fraud related to his solicitation of money from a bank customer while the customer was attempting to conduct bank business.

“While most bank employees are honest and helpful, those who aren’t must be held to account,” Vance said. “My office will continue to prosecute these individuals,” she said.

“The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General is pleased to join the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement colleagues from the FBI in announcing this indictment,” said FDIC Inspector General Jon T. Rymer. “We are particularly concerned when former senior bank officials, who have held positions of trust within their institutions, are alleged to have been involved in criminal activity. We will continue to aggressively pursue bank officials and others who victimize financial institutions,” Rymer said.

Upon conviction, Mitchell faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Inspector General’s Office of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa K. Atwood is prosecuting the case.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.