RISON - A former bank teller at the FBT Bank branch in Rison is facing felony theft charges after admitting she took what an internal audit revealed to be $45,000 in cash from the bank between May and August 2025.Jessica Lee Aud, 37, of Rison, was formally arraigned on Jan. 13 in Cleveland County Circuit Court on a Class B felony charge of theft of property for $25,000 or more. A Class B felony is punishable by five to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $15,000.She was arrested on Sept. 12, 2025, and released on a $15,00o bond.According to an investigation conducted by Arkansas State Police (ASP) agent Oscar Bullard, on Aug. 29, 2025, one of Aud's supervisors at the bank approached her about her teller drawer being out of balance by $8,000. Aud told the supervisor that she needed to talk to her and the two went into the supervisor's office. During their conversation, the investigation stated that Aud told the supervisor "she had been stealing money from the bank for a while now." After that conversation, Bullard said he interviewed Aud that evening with Chief Deputy Gary Young of the Cleveland County Sheriff's Department (continued from page 1) present during the interview. Aud told Bullard “the first reason I told myself I was taking the money was because I didn’t have enough to pay for my medicine,” listing three medications that she was on. However, she later told the investigator that the medications only cost her about $30 to $40 but she continued to take the money “The truth is, I have never been good at managing money,” Aud is quoted as telling Bullard in his report. “I have always had problems with it, even when there should have been enough.”She also told the investigator that she loves her children and grandbaby, and wanted to spend money on them. “I see something I want to give them, and I don’t think about whether I can really afford it,” Aud is quoted as telling Bullard. “I just do it, and late...
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