Jackson County Loan Officer Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Kevin R. Griffin, 43, of Alford, Florida, pled guilty yesterday to bank fraud.  The plea was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Griffin was employed as a loan officer for the Bank of Bonifay, which later became the First Federal Bank of Florida.  Between 2010 and 2012, Griffin used his position as a loan officer to give customers loans that were not documented with the bank.  These loans were funded by embezzling money from other customers’ bank accounts without authorization.  Griffin obtained loans for customers using other customers’ bank assets as collateral, without permission, and forging loan documents.  Griffin also embezzled money from bank customers for his own personal benefit.

Griffin faces a maximum of 30 years in prison.  Sentencing for this case is currently set for March 2, 2017.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.  Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Kim is prosecuting the case.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, amy.alexander@usdoj.gov