Former FirstCity Bank president pleads guilty

Associated Press

A former bank president has pleaded guilty in federal court in Atlanta to charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Mark A. Conner, former president of FirstCity Bank of Stockbridge, pleaded guilty Friday. The charges stem from misconduct at FirstCity in the years before state and federal authorities seized the bank in March 2009. The 45-year-old also pleaded guilty to perjury in his personal bankruptcy filing in federal bankruptcy court in January.

Prosecutors say Conner held top positions at FirstCity between 2004 and 2009. They say, he conspired with others to defraud FirstCity's loan committee and board of directors into approving multiple multimillion dollar commercial loans to borrowers who were purchasing property owned by Conner or his co-conspirators.

Conner gained almost $7 million from the loans alleged in the indictment.