Pathward Financial will pay about $700,000 in refunds and penalties to resolve claims by the New York Attorney General’s Office that the Sioux Falls, S.D., company illegally froze customer accounts and transferred funds debt collectors. New York Attorney General Letitia James’s office said in a press release that the $7.9 billion-asset Pathward cooperated with the investigation and voluntarily began remedying its practices last year. The company will refund roughly $80,000

Plumas Bancorp in Reno, Nev., used proceeds from the sale-leaseback of branches to unload underwater securities during the first quarter. The $1.6 billion-asset company said in a press release that it sold $115 million in securities at a $19.8 million loss. Plumas said that, between December and late March, it bought $120 million of higher-yielding securities. Plumas said it sold nine branches in mid-February for a $19.9 million net gain

Skyline Bankshares in Independence, Va., has agreed to buy Johnson County Bank in Mountain City, Tenn. The $1 billion-asset Skyline will pay $25 million in cash for the $152 million-asset Johnson County Bank. The deal is expected to close in the second half of this year. "This strategic move is not only rooted in our shared values but also aligns with our growth objectives, presenting an exceptional opportunity to enhance

Foresight Financial Group in Winnebago, Ill., has hired a new president. The $1.6 billion-asset company said in a press release that Jeffrey Hultman had also become its chief banking officer. He will lead the revenue, sales, and service activities for Foresight and its banks. Hultman was CEO at Illinois Bank and Trust, a division of Heartland Financial USA. Four other bankers from Illinois Bank joined Hultman at Foresight. “We are

OneUnited Bank is moving its headquarters out of Boston. The $756 million-asset Black-owned bank will relocate to Roxbury, Mass. “The move will bring us geographically closer to our customers, align our executive office better with our local branch, which is essential to help us create new products and services to meet the needs of low to moderate income communities, and provide more room for the growth in our employees,” CEO

Wintrust Financial in Rosemont, Ill., has agreed to buy Macatawa Bank in Holland, Mich. The $57 billion-asset Wintrust said in a press release that it will pay $510.3 million in stock for the $2.7 billion-asset Macatawa. The deal is expected to close in the second half of this year. Macatawa has 26 branches, $2.4 billion of deposits and $1.3 billion of loans. “Macatawa provides an ideal platform to expand into

BOM Bank in Natchitoches, La., has agreed to buy nine Texas branches from American State Bank in Arp, Texas.   The $1 billion-asset BOM Bank filed an application with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on April 12 tied to the proposed acquisition. The sale is expected to close in the fourth quarter. The price wasn’t disclosed.   The $953 million-asset American State would have seven branches after the deal closes,

A New York group looking to form a blank-check company to buy failed banks has applied for deposit insurance. Organizers of Porticoes National Bank applied with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on April 9. The application wasn’t immediately available. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in December granted the proposed bank conditional approval with an understanding that the group will apply for Federal Reserve membership and obtain deposit insurance. Final