Coffeyville Woman Pleads Guilty In $150,000 Mail Fraud

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Coffeyville woman pleaded guilty to stealing $150,000 from a customer at a bank where she worked, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Phyllis Lanning, 61, Coffeyville, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. She admitted that while she worked for Condon National Bank in Coffeyville, Kan., she created and mailed falsified documents in order to conceal the fact she stole $150,000 from a customer’s account. She diverted legitimate monthly statements to a postal box in Bartlesville, Okla., that she controlled. She prepared counterfeit statements and mailed them to the owner of the account. The theft was discovered after the owner of the account died and family members took control of the account.

Sentencing is set for September 24. She faces a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. McAllister commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.