Eureka banker pleads guilty to conspiracy

A 30-year-old banker from Eureka pleaded guilty Friday to a conspiracy of accepting bribes in connection with loans.

 David Ryan Hunt, a former financial services manager with Commerce Bank, admitted in the downtown St. Louis US District Court to accepting payments in return for facilitating four loans.

The loans totaled approximately $2 million. Two of the loans were issued for $750,000 for MRI machines which were listed as collateral on the loan papers. However, these loan proceeds were used for other purposes. Consequently, the bank that Hunt worked for charged off the loans, totaling approximately $1.3 million. These crimes allegedly took place between July 2006 and July 2008.

When Hunt is sentenced on September 3, he faces up to five years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.