Bank Fraud Epidemic Hits Belle Chasse: Joshua Hockless Pleads Guilty
A 29-year-old man from Belle Chasse has pleaded guilty to bank fraud in a case that has left the community shaken. Joshua Hockless, an Army Sergeant, has admitted to committing the crime.
According to court records, Hockless was an Army Sergeant in the Headquarters Company, 377th Theater Sustainment Command, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chasse. He had a bank account at the United Services Automobile Association Federal Savings Bank (USAA) and learned that USAA allowed service members to withdraw deposits before the funds formally cleared the issuing bank.
Hockless used this knowledge to his advantage, opening bank accounts at third-party banks with minimal funding. He then made online wire transfers from those banks to USAA, and withdrew the deposits from USAA before it detected that there were insufficient funds in the issuing bank account.
The scheme resulted in Hockless obtaining approximately $36,119.47 as a result of these fraudulent transfers between his accounts. He then asked other enlisted personnel to open USAA and third-party bank accounts, and give him their online banking passwords.
Hockless used these passwords to make similar fraudulent transfers to their USAA accounts and instructed them when to withdraw the cash to split with him. These transfers resulted in approximately $102,739.74 being fraudulently withdrawn from USAA – approximately half of which ($51,369.57) was received by Hockless.
Hockless faces maximum penalties of up to 30 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Sentencing is currently set for November 17, 2021.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the Army Criminal Investigations Command. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney G. Dall Kammer, Chief of the General Crimes Unit.
Related Federal Cases
- Duane A. Dufrene, Bank Fraud and Money Laundering, Louisiana 2021 · Washington
- Ryan H., Bank Fraud, Louisiana, 2023 · Louisiana
- John Doe, Bank Fraud, Louisiana 2022 · Louisiana
- Ryan Guilty of $1 Billion Bank Fraud, Louisiana 2023 · Louisiana
- Marcus Dewane Carr, Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, TX, 2023 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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