WICHITA, Kan. – A former loan officer for a bank in Great Bend pleaded guilty Monday to a federal charge of bank fraud.

56-year-old Brian W. Harrison admitted the crime occurred during the time from 2004 to 2012 when he was a loan officer for Farmer’s Bank and Trust in Great Bend.

His duties included reviewing, approving and disbursing loans within his lending authority without the approval of the bank’s loan committee. In furtherance of a scheme to defraud the bank, he made or caused to be made false statements to the bank to hide the poor performance of various loans he made. His false statements were intended to deflect questions from the bank about problems with the loans. He falsified credit and loan applications, promissory notes and security agreements on behalf of a purported debtor without the debtor’s proper authority.

Sentencing is set for June 8. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of six months in prison, followed by six months home detention, as well as an order to pay more than $124,000 in restitution.