Bob Hartheimer, the former CEO of Evolve Bank & Trust, was sentenced on June 4, 2026, to 51 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges arising from an FBI sting in which he solicited sex from an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old boy on Grindr. Chief Judge Sheryl Halle Lipman of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee also ordered five years of supervised release and required Hartheimer to register as a sex offender.1Action News 5. Former Memphis Bank CEO Gets 51-Month Federal Prison Sentence in Child Pornography Case
How the FBI Sting Unfolded
On October 19, 2025, an FBI employee created a Grindr profile posing as a 15-year-old boy. A user identified as “Tomm” messaged the account: “Hey any chance u would hu with an older and chill guy.”2Commercial Appeal. Memphis Evolve Bob Hartheimer Arrest FBI Grindr The conversation moved to Snapchat, where the user, going by “Tom Little,” discussed meeting for sex, requested nude photos of the supposed teenager, and sent a nude photo of himself.3CNBC. Evolve Bank CEO Fired After Propositioning FBI Agent Posing as Teen Boy Prosecutors later described the messages as “immediately sexual.”4Fox 13 Memphis. Former CEO of Evolve Bank Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Child Sex Crimes
The subscriber appeared to delete the Grindr chats the next day, but the agent had already screenshotted the exchange. Agents traced the Snapchat account’s IP address through Comcast to a physical address.2Commercial Appeal. Memphis Evolve Bob Hartheimer Arrest FBI Grindr On October 23, 2025, U.S. Marshals arrested Hartheimer at Evolve Bank & Trust’s headquarters on Poplar Avenue in East Memphis while federal agents executed a search warrant at the building.5WREG. Evolve Bank CEO Arrested at Poplar Office U.S. Magistrate Judge Annie Christoff ordered him detained pending trial after an October 28 hearing.
The Charges and Guilty Plea
On January 5, 2026, Hartheimer pleaded guilty before Judge Lipman to two counts: attempted production of child pornography and coercion and enticement of a minor.6WREG. Former Bank CEO Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges7CourtListener. United States v. Hartheimer, No. 2:25-cr-20314 Attempted production of child pornography carries a statutory range of 15 to 30 years in prison. Coercion and enticement of a minor carries 10 years to life.
The Sentence and Why It Fell Below the Statutory Range
At sentencing on June 4, 2026, Judge Lipman imposed 51 months, far below the statutory minimums on either count. The judge cited Hartheimer’s age, 69 at the time, in imposing the reduced term. He also received five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.1Action News 5. Former Memphis Bank CEO Gets 51-Month Federal Prison Sentence in Child Pornography Case
Prosecutors argued the seriousness of the offense warranted significant punishment. Defense attorney Blake Ballin, who had filed a memorandum seeking a downward variance from the federal sentencing guidelines,7CourtListener. United States v. Hartheimer, No. 2:25-cr-20314 told reporters afterward that “the judge balanced that with how good of a person Bob Hartheimer is. Good people do bad things.” Ballin said his client “understands he’s being punished and takes responsibility for what he did.”1Action News 5. Former Memphis Bank CEO Gets 51-Month Federal Prison Sentence in Child Pornography Case
Who Bob Hartheimer Was Before the Arrest
Hartheimer’s case drew attention because of his standing in banking. He held an MBA from Wharton and had worked in investment banking at Merrill Lynch Capital Markets and Smith Barney before joining the FDIC in 1991 to help build its Division of Resolutions, the unit created to centralize the handling of failed banks. He led the division from June 1994 through December 1995, overseeing the sale of more than 200 failed banks.8FDIC. Managing the Crisis Symposium He later worked at Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co. and Promontory Financial Group, co-founded the credit card firm Jasper, and advised fintechs and banks at Klaros Group.9PYMNTS. Ex-FDIC Exec Bob Hartheimer Is New CEO of Evolve Bank & Trust
He was formally appointed CEO of Evolve Bank & Trust on August 13, 2025. Board Chairman Steve Valentine said Hartheimer brought “unmatched corporate experience in strategically navigating challenges at financial institutions.”9PYMNTS. Ex-FDIC Exec Bob Hartheimer Is New CEO of Evolve Bank & Trust He had held the job for roughly two months when he was arrested.
Evolve Bank’s Response
Evolve fired Hartheimer shortly after his arrest. A bank spokesperson confirmed the termination on November 1, 2025, and said the U.S. Attorney’s office had told the bank the matter was “personal” and unrelated to its operations.3CNBC. Evolve Bank CEO Fired After Propositioning FBI Agent Posing as Teen Boy