Pine Bluff, Arkansas – A former Arkansas bank employee who authorities say stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from customers over several years has been sentenced to federal prison after investigators uncovered an extensive embezzlement scheme involving vulnerable victims, fraudulent credit card accounts, and stolen customer funds.
Federal officials announced that 59-year-old Laura Parrish of Pine Bluff was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for bank theft. The sentence was handed down by Brian S. Miller, according to Jonathan D. Ross.
Parrish, who worked at the bank for more than seven years before being terminated, pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2025, after federal prosecutors filed a criminal information charging her with one count of bank theft.
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Miller ordered Parrish to complete three years of supervised release following her incarceration. Federal officials noted that there is no parole in the federal prison system.
Investigators Uncover Years Of Theft
According to investigators, Parrish carried out the theft scheme between November 2016 and January 2024 while employed at a local bank.
Authorities said she repeatedly used customer funds to pay off her personal credit cards and transfer money into outside financial accounts connected to her.
Investigators also accused Parrish of opening personal credit card accounts using the identities of other individuals before using bank customer funds to make payments on those fraudulent accounts.
Federal authorities said one of the most serious portions of the case involved the theft of money from a single family between August 2021 and April 2023.
During that period, Parrish allegedly embezzled approximately $364,000 from the family, including funds belonging to one relative who had already died.
According to court records, the stolen money was used to pay Parrish’s personal credit cards and loans while also benefiting her business, Southern Roots and Blooms, as well as financial accounts belonging to her husband, daughter, and other relatives.
Investigators further revealed that on Jan. 24, 2023, Parrish submitted a retail credit card application using the personal information of one of the bank’s customers, including the customer’s name, birth date, and Social Security number.
Authorities said Parrish placed her own address and phone number on the application. Between February 2023 and January 2024, she allegedly made roughly $15,000 in payments on the account using stolen funds.
The victim tied to that account died in March 2023, but investigators said Parrish continued stealing money connected to the deceased customer afterward.
Federal officials estimated that between July 2021 and January 2024, Parrish stole approximately $413,871.40 from eight separate bank customers.
Federal Agencies Condemn Abuse Of Trust
Law enforcement officials involved in the investigation sharply criticized Parrish’s conduct, emphasizing that the crimes targeted customers who trusted the bank to protect their finances.
“This individual abused a position of trust to steal from hardworking Arkansans, including some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Jason Van Goor. “The FBI will continue working with our partners to hold fraudsters accountable and pursue justice for victims.”
Federal officials with banking oversight agencies also warned that insider fraud cases remain a major concern for investigators.
“Laura Parrish abused her bank position to embezzle funds from innocent customers for her own benefit and has now been brought to justice,” said John T. Perez with the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
“This sentence should serve as a warning that we will vigorously pursue bank insiders who defraud financial institutions regulated and supervised by the Federal Reserve Board.”
Jeff Thomson with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General also stressed the seriousness of the case.
“It is especially concerning when bank insiders abuse their positions of trust to victimize unwitting bank customers, as was the case with Ms. Parrish,” Thomson said.
United States Attorney Ross added that Parrish’s crimes caused major harm both to customers and to the bank itself.
“Laura Parrish took advantage of her position at the bank to take money that did not belong to her and caused significant damage to the bank and its most vulnerable customers impacted by her brazen act of theft,” Ross said.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from federal banking oversight agencies, including the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, along with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General.
