NORFOLK, Va. –Lionel Jason Haynes, 31, of New Rochelle, N.Y., and formerly of Virginia Beach, Va., was sentenced today in Norfolk federal court to seven years and three months in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was also ordered to pay $181,960 in restitution. 

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief United States District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith.  Haynes previously pleaded guilty to these charges on March 2, 2012.

            According to court documents and proceedings, Haynes, a former Navy sailor, executed a scheme to defraud Navy Federal Credit Union by victimizing young, impressionable sailors.  Posing as a Chief Petty Officer, Navy SEAL or as a representative of the Navy’s Fleet and Family Services Center, Haynes would approach a sailor on Navy Base Norfolk and offer assistance to help him purchase a car.  He would ask for their personal identifying information and bank account information under the pretense of needing it to determine pre-approval for an auto loan.  Once he received this information, he accessed their NFCU bank account, requested an auto loan, and changed the mailing address to an address to which he had access.  He received the check, wrote down fraudulent vehicle information, forged their name, and had an associate (the purported seller) cash the check.  He victimized 14 different sailors in this manner.   

            This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Randy Stoker on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.

 

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