POCAHONTAS, Ark. — A bank employee in Arkansas is facing multiple felony charges after being accused of stealing more than $240,000 from customer accounts.
Heather Pankey, 45, was arrested Wednesday after an internal investigation at First National Bank of Commerce in Pocahontas uncovered suspicious activity tied to her.
Court records show the fraud was discovered on March 20 when a failed transaction was flagged on a deceased customer’s account. Investigators found that the transaction had been entered using another employee’s login credentials—without their knowledge or consent.
Further investigation revealed Pankey had accessed multiple accounts and transferred funds into a joint account she shared with her grandmother. Officials reported funds were taken from at least eight different customers, totaling over $241,900.
In a written statement to authorities, Pankey claimed, “I borrowed money from a couple of customers that I knew wouldn’t need the money at the time.”
She was booked into the Randolph County Detention Center and charged with theft of property, forgery, financial identity fraud, and computer fraud.
The case remains under investigation.
