Baton Rouge Reporter

Eric Jason Schouest, a former branch manager at Regions Bank, has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for embezzlement and bank fraud. U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles handed down the sentence following Schouest's convictions. In addition to his prison term, Schouest will serve two years of supervised release and pay $86,375.89 in restitution.

Schouest worked at Regions Bank from 2010 to 2021 as a branch manager at the Plank Road branch. His role allowed him access to customer accounts and the authority to manage various banking operations, including issuing cashier’s checks and transferring funds.

During his tenure, Schouest misused his position by embezzling funds from customer accounts into his personal accounts. He also created false emails and forged documents to hide his activities from other bank employees. The fraudulent funds were partly used for personal expenses such as loan payments on a house and car. The total amount misappropriated exceeded $250,000.

The investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner prosecuted the case.