Hattiesburg Man Sentenced for Misapplication of Funds by a Bank Officer

Hattiesburg, Miss. – Paul Ruff, 42, of Hattiesburg, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 6 months in the community corrections center, followed by 6 months’ home confinement, for misapplication of funds by a bank officer, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

Ruff was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.   The court determined the loss amount to be $193,920.81.  A hearing on the total restitution owed by the defendant will be held at a later date.  

Ruff was employed as the Commercial Relationships Manager of Trustmark National Bank in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, from 1999 to 2014. From 2008 through March 6, 2014, Ruff willfully misapplied moneys, funds, assets or securities that were entrusted to the care of Trustmark National Bank.  During this period, Ruff issued unapproved monetary advances, made unauthorized loans, moved money in and out of different customer accounts without authorization, and created fraudulent entries in the electronic records of Trustmark National Bank to conceal the unauthorized transactions.  

Ruff pled guilty before Judge Starrett on April 9, 2019, to misapplication of funds by a bank officer or employee.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.