Seffner, Florida - A county worker started his day Friday morning with the FBI knocking on his door. Anthony Haynes of Seffner didn't speak to reporters as he left the Federal Courthouse in Tampa facing mail and wire fraud charges involving SunTrust bank.

His employer and his attorney say the charges are not related to his county job. 

Haynes' attorney, Daniel Fernandez, says, "Of course he's surprised - anytime you're getting up and getting dressed and there's an FBI agent at your door, it's a surprise."

Fernandez adds, "This is a guy who's 53-years-old, been married for 28 years; he's been to the same job since 1985, no criminal history- at a time when the real estate market was booming, people were buying properties - investment properties, and he became involved in that. And now there's an accusation that because three of those sustained foreclosures, that under close scrutiny some of the information he provided was not factual." 

Haynes is the Director of Real Estate Services. He's worked for the Hillsborough's Board of County Commissioners for 27 years and his employer says he consistently marked very well in his performance reviews.

But the FBI says on December 14 of 2006, he borrowed $450,000 dollars from SunTrust Mortgage and around that same time he borrowed another $562,500 from the same bank to purchase nine lots of land in Tennessee.

The problem, according to the indictment, is that Haynes overstated his income, $104,748.80 annually, on the loan application and on closing documents. 

But Fernandez says, "There's a disagreement as to some of the representation on the loan applications, and that's why he's indicted and that's why he's entered a plea of not guilty."

The judge said Haynes can keep his county job as long as he steers clear of any real estate transactions. The county, though, has placed Haynes on leave until the case against him is resolved.

He's back in court next month. 

 

Tammie Fields, 10 News