57-year-old Gary "Duke" Haynes of Comstock Park was found guilty of 14 felonies Thursday, Dec. 20 in front of judge Annette Smedley in the 14th Circuit Court in Muskegon. The charges were brought forward by Michigan attorney general Bill Schuette's Elder Financial Crimes Unit in May 2018.
According to Schuette's office, Haynes met the widowed 85-year-old in 2006 and quickly became her financial adviser. The woman gave Haynes her account passwords and other financial information, which he used to "benefit himself and his companies," influencing her financial decisions and taking her money for personal gain. Schuette's office explained in a release that the victim gave Haynes permission to invest some of her money, which he then took for personal gain.
“This man preyed on a vulnerable senior citizen for nothing more than personal gain and cases like these are the exact reason I created the Elder Financial Crimes Unit,” Schuette said in a statement. “I want to thank the Muskegon County’s Prosecutors Office for their commitment to stopping those who would prey on our seniors when they are the most vulnerable to theft and financial exploitation. I also want to thank the Department of Treasury for their assistance on this case.”
Haynes will now face a sentencing on Feb. 8, 2018 for the following charges:
- One felony count on conducting a criminal enterprise, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and/or $100,000
- One felony count of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult of $100,00 or more, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and/or $50,000
- Eight felony counts of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult of $1,000 to $20,000, which is punishable up to five years in prison and/or $10,000
- Four felony counts of falsely returned taxes, which is punishable up to five years in prison and/or $5,000
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West Michigan man found guilty for stealing $300,000 from elderly client
I hope he spends the rest of his life in jail.
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