Loan officer indicted on theft

October 02, 2008 08:33 am

— By Brad Hicks / Staff Writer
A Laurel County man was indicted by the grand jury last Wednesday in United States District Court in London on charges of defrauding his employer by falsifying and keeping down payments on loans.
The indictment alleges that Ben C. Johnson, 40, acting as a loan officer with Forcht Bank in the London Banking Center, defrauded the bank in the amount of approximately $281,000 by inflating the amount of customer loans to his benefit, retaining down payments made on loans and originating loans using customer information.
Johnson was arrested last week and pleaded not guilty to all charges against him at an arraignment hearing last Thursday. A motions hearing is set for Johnson on Oct. 28 in U.S. District Court in London. His trial is scheduled to begin Dec. 2, also in U.S. District Court. The alleged incidences occurred between November 2007 and June 2008, according to the indictment.