United States Attorney James T. Jacks
Northern District of Texas

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2010
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

LOCAL RESIDENTS SENTENCED IN BANK FRAUD CONSPIRACY

Conspirators Fraudulently Deposited Nearly $900,000,
Causing Nearly $450,000 in Losses to Four Banks

DALLAS — The last of eight defendants convicted in a bank fraud conspiracy, Darrell Devinski Jones, 41, of Desoto, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 51 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Jones pleaded guilty in June 2010 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He has been in custody since his arrest on March 10, 2010, during a takedown by Inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

The remaining seven defendants, two of whom are brothers, have pleaded guilty to their role in the scheme and have been sentenced. In addition, most were ordered to pay restitution.

∙ Tyrone Okeef Jones, 42, of Desoto - 42 months in prison
∙ James Harrison, 41, of Dallas - 30 months in prison
∙ Timothy Tyrone Loud, 33, of Dallas - 15 months in prison
∙ Hermisha Eugenia Montgomery, 35, of Desoto - 15 months in prison
∙ Derrick Earl Scaggs, 36, of Desoto - 12 months and one day in prison
∙ Anthony Dawayne Patterson, 40, of Dallas - six months in prison
∙ Jimmy Leallen Vaughn, 43, of Dallas - three years probation

Beginning in January 2008, the defendants, some of whom knew each other from high school, participated in a scheme to steal corporate checks from bank lock boxes, and then open small business bank accounts, at various banks in the DFW area, using fraudulent information. The scheme included depositing the stolen corporate checks into these small business accounts and shortly thereafter removing funds via check and cash withdrawals.

Their offense also involved using identifying information for which some of the defendants received an enhanced sentence. Collectively, the defendants deposited $869,558 causing an actual loss of $444,172 to four banks.

The case was investigated by the USPIS and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Tourjé.

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