Wood County Woman Guilty of Bank Fraud

TEXARKANA – A Wood County woman has pleaded guilty in Texarkana to federal violations. Mellissa Kay Morris pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline Craven. Morris faces up to 30 years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.

According to federal prosecutors, while employed as assistant manager of Pioneer Credit Company in Mt. Pleasant, Morris devised a scheme in which she fraudulently created new loan applications for customers who did not have active loans. Morris used the customer’s name, social security number and other identifying information to create the loan application. Morris would them approve the loan, issue a check in the name of the customer on Pioneer’s account, sign the check on behalf of Pioneer and then forge the signature of the customer on the check. Morris then used those funds for her personal gain. This fraudulent activity resulted in a financial loss of at least $200,000.