A Minneapolis bank teller has been charged with stealing nearly $41,000 through an elaborate scheme involving falsified records and counterfeit currency, according to court filings.
Kendrell Lashawna Maliya Stuart, 25, faces a felony theft-by-swindle charge connected to a U.S. Bank branch located at 4930 34th Avenue South in Minneapolis. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
According to a U.S. Bank investigator's account to the court, Stuart allegedly falsified teller records and took approximately $40,999 in cash from her workplace.
Timeline of Missing Funds
Cash shortages at the branch emerged over several weeks in 2026:
- May 30: The branch vault was found short $32,000
- June 1: An additional $1,000 disappeared from the vault
- June 5: Stuart reported her own assigned cash box was short $1,999.94
- June 9: A cash audit discovered $6,000 in counterfeit bills, described as motion picture money, stored alongside mutilated currency in the vault
Bank records and video surveillance allegedly showed Stuart entering cash transfers from her cash box to the vault without physically placing the cash inside.
Investigation and Charges
Stuart requested a leave of absence after the June 5th report and did not return to work. On July 29th, U.S. Bank terminated her employment for theft. Minneapolis police's Financial Crimes Unit received a theft report on August 19th.
Hennepin County District Court Judge Jamie L. Anderson issued an arrest warrant with bail set at $100,000. Stuart remains at large. According to the complaint, social media activity suggests she may be in the Bahamas, identified as her native home.
