NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Richard Huff, 53, of Virginia Beach, is facing serious time after a federal jury found him guilty last night of a calculated scheme to defraud Navy Federal Credit Union. The conviction caps a years-long investigation into a network of identity theft and fraudulent auto loans.
According to evidence presented at trial, Huff willingly participated in a conspiracy where stolen identities were used to secure auto loans. His role? To cash the checks. Co-conspirators falsely presented Huff as the seller of luxury vehicles – Mercedes and BMWs – that he neither owned nor had the authority to sell. These vehicles were listed for sale at dealerships in Hampton and Newport News, adding a layer of deception to the scheme. The goal was simple: cash in on fraudulent loans.
The scam began to unravel in July 2016. Huff brazenly attempted to cash two fraudulent loan checks at Navy Federal branches in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. Adding insult to injury, Huff documented the transactions himself – using his cell phone to record both attempts. On July 13th, he successfully cashed a check for $40,000. But his luck ran out less than a week later. When he attempted to cash a $45,000 check on July 20th, authorities were waiting.
The jury didn’t buy Huff’s story, returning guilty verdicts on charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and the particularly serious charge of aggravated identity theft. This isn’t a slap on the wrist case. Huff faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison, in addition to a maximum sentence of 30 years. While federal sentencing guidelines often result in lighter sentences, the potential for a lengthy prison stay is very real.
The announcement of the conviction came from Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin C. Gratton and Howard J. Zlotnick before Senior U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr., who accepted the jury’s verdict.
Huff is scheduled to be sentenced on October 25th. Those seeking further information can find a copy of the press release on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Eastern District of Virginia. Court documents related to Case No. 4:17-cr-18 are available on the District Court website or through the PACER system. This case serves as a stark reminder that identity theft and financial fraud carry significant consequences.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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