Father and Son Sentenced for Bank Fraud

Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announced that Brad Heard, Sr., aged 57, of Camilla, Georgia, and Brad Heard, Jr., aged 35, of Leesburg, Georgia, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge W. Louis Sands on Thursday, February 27, 2014, for bank fraud. Brad Heard, Sr. was sentenced to serve 30 months in federal prison. Brad Heard, Jr. received a sentence of 33 months in prison. They were ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $5 million.

Mr. Heard, Sr. and Mr. Heard, Jr. entered guilty pleas to the charges on September 26, 2013. As part of their plea agreements, Mr. Heard, Sr. and Mr. Heard, Jr. admitted that they paid bribes and kickbacks to a banker and his wife, located in Bainbridge, Georgia, to influence and reward the banker for making loans to them. The total amount of loans made by the banker to them was $13,000,000.

“The defendants in this case used kickbacks and bribes from loan proceeds from a bank, whose primary purpose is to help farmers, to induce the lending officer to make improper loans. They tried to game the system and will now find themselves in federal prison for their crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Moore.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Thomasville Resident Agency and the United States Secret Service, Albany. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jim Crane and Leah McEwen.

Inquiries regarding the case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Unite d States Attorney’s Office at (478) 621-2603.