Macon Check Cashing Manager Pleads Guilty to Filing False Reports

MACON, Ga. - The manager of a Macon check cashing company pleaded guilty to filing false reports resulting from a larger investigation into a bank fraud conspiracy targeting a Morris Bank branch in Gray, Georgia.

James Kevin Meyers, 57, of Gray, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of causing the filing of false currency transaction reports before U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell on Feb. 18. Meyers faces a maximum of ten years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $500,000 fine. A sentencing date will be determined by the Court.

In two related cases, Ronnie Atkinson, 57, of Macon, Georgia, was sentenced to serve a total of 84 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on Feb. 5, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft on May 12, 2025. Atkinson was also ordered to pay a total of $3,357,073.21 in restitution.

Alan Childs, 60, of Gray, Georgia, was sentenced to serve twelve months and one day in prison on Sept. 17, 2025, and was ordered to pay $3,094,200.98 in restitution after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud on April 12, 2025.

There is no parole in the federal system.

"This investigation shows we will hold all participants in financial crimes accountable," said U.S. Attorney William R. "Will" Keyes. "Such schemes harm our community and will not be tolerated."

"Financial crimes like this undermine trust in our banking system and harm everyday people across our communities," said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta's Macon office. "Whether someone is committing fraud directly or helping conceal it, we will continue holding every participant accountable for abusing positions of trust and enabling million-dollar schemes."

According to court documents and statements in court, Meyer managed Mr. Kevin's Check Cashing in Macon, a money services business. As a domestic financial institution, his check-cashing company was required to comply with the Bank Secrecy Act regulations and reporting requirements, including filing Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs) for transactions exceeding $10,000.

Co-defendant Atkinson took out numerous loans with Morris Bank, where co-defendant Childs served as Market President and helped Atkinson obtain them. Atkinson got loans in his name and in the name of straw borrowers. Many of these loans were alleged to be for the purchase of equipment and items from various individuals. Morris Bank would issue a loan or cashier's check to the listed seller. Atkinson brought several of these Morris Bank checks to Mr. Kevin's Check Cashing to be cashed several times without the listed payee present, always more than $10,000. The CTR should have listed the person who presented the check and left with the cash as Atkinson. Instead, the CTR's listed the payees of the check, although they were not present and did not collect the cash. Meyers would either personally cash these checks for Atkinson or direct his employees to cash them and also file the CTRs with the listed payee's name, even though it was Atkinson who actually cashed the checks.

Five checks were cashed in 2022, amounting to $166,788, $117,409, $93,338, $126,743, and $280,013.

For more information about this conspiracy, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/central-georgia-man-sentenced-bank-fraud-conspiracy.

The case was investigated by the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard is prosecuting the case for the Government.