A federal judge in Memphis has pushed back the sentencing of former Evolve Bank & Trust CEO Robert “Bob” Hartheimer, setting a new date of Thursday, June 4, 2026. Hartheimer pleaded guilty in January to federal charges tied to child pornography and the enticement of a minor, and the reset gives prosecutors and defense attorneys more time to file their sentencing arguments before the downtown Memphis hearing.
The Western District of Tennessee’s online criminal calendar shows Hartheimer scheduled for a 10:30 a.m. sentencing on June 4 before Chief Judge Sheryl H. Lipman, according to the court's public docket. Local coverage first noted the change on April 18, as reported by LocalMemphis.
Hartheimer entered a guilty plea on Jan. 5, 2026, to attempting to produce child pornography and coercion and enticement of a minor, a move his attorney confirmed in court, according to guilty plea coverage published the following day.
How investigators say he was caught
Court filings and local reporting state that FBI agents posed as a 15-year-old on the Grindr dating app and exchanged messages with an account investigators later traced to Hartheimer. That undercover sting led to his arrest at Evolve Bank offices in late October 2025. The Daily Memphian reviewed the affidavit and reporting that outline the online operation, search, and arrest.
What to expect at sentencing
At the June 4 hearing, Judge Lipman is expected to weigh the probation office’s presentence report along with sentencing briefs from both sides before deciding how long Hartheimer will serve. The attempted-production charge carries exposure that has been described as roughly 15 to 30 years, and the coercion and enticement count carries decades of potential prison time, with prosecutors and defense lawyers set to offer competing recommendations, according to WSMV.
Bank fallout and local ties
Hartheimer was named Evolve’s CEO in August 2025 and was removed from the role after his October arrest, according to press reports that followed the FBI action. Coverage from outlets including Financial Express notes both his short tenure and the bank’s statement that it terminated his employment.
Anyone tracking the case will want to keep an eye on the federal court’s public listings for any last-minute changes to the June 4 date or time. The Western District’s online court calendar currently shows the sentencing set for 10:30 a.m. before Chief Judge Lipman.
