ST. LOUIS – A former bank manager admitted to stealing nearly half a million dollars from a UMB Bank branch in St. Louis.

Samantha J. Cherry, 35, of Morrisonville, Illinois, pleaded guilty to one felony count of theft or embezzlement by a bank officer. She stole around $439,000 from the bank.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office of Eastern Missouri, Cherry admitted that she took cash directly from the vault and moved currency from other cash supplies into her cash drawer totals. This happened between Jan. 1, 2021 and March 18, 2022, while she served as a manager at the St. Louis branch.

In March 2022, Cherry told co-workers that she stole the money and gave it to her boyfriend, who she said had recently passed away.  

The FBI assisted with the investigation. Cherry is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6. She could face up to 30 years in prison or $1 million in fines.