A former Missouri bank vice president and pastor is pleading guilty to federal fraud charges after running a cattle investment scheme that defrauded victims and his employer of millions.
The 45-year-old Butler resident worked as a vice president and loan officer at Community First Bank while serving as a pastor, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
From at least April 2024 until his termination in February 2026, he solicited funds for buying and quickly selling cattle but instead placed the money in an investment account.
“Johnson did not use the funds to purchase cattle but instead deposited the funds in an investment account where he repeatedly traded in small-capitalization and micro-cap securities ultimately losing all the funds.”
Johnson served as loan officer for about 29 loans and lines of credit totaling roughly $4.48 million at the bank, creating some without victims’ knowledge or approval, including at least three in February 2026 to pay off earlier fraudulent loans.
Prosecutors described how he operated.
“Johnson used his position at Community First Bank to obtain loans using the identity of other people. At various times between April 2024 and until Johnson’s termination in February 2026, Johnson used his position as a loan officer and/or his status in the community to defraud individuals and a financial institution of at least $9,395,882.22.”
He used some victim funds to pay prior investors to conceal the scheme.
A sentencing hearing is pending after a pre-sentence investigation.
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