In Wichita court, Haynes provided his only public reflection on the bank's collapse. In a grey suit, he nervously looked at his former friend in the gallery and walked to the lecture. “Sorry,” he told the judge. He explained that he thought he was involved in a legal business contract until the end. In January 2024, he flew to Perth, Australia, making a futile attempt to retrieve the lost money. He stayed in touch with them the moment he landed at the airport. However, the relief has not been materialized. It was then that he admitted he had been cheated a few months after the bank was closed. “I've been struggling forever to understand how I was fooled,” Haynes said. “I should have caught it, but I didn't.”
After Haynes finished speaking, Judge Blooms rocked his chair back and began to face shareholders. “The best thing for you is to forgive this guy,” he said. “Leave me the issue of retaliation. That's my job, and I'll see it's over.” He sentenced Haynes to 24 years and five months in prison, and federal prosecutors said. He sentenced even greater punishment than the officials had requested. The yes chorus echoed from shareholders.
Haynes' shoulder fell. As the two US exs approached him, he put his ties back on, took off his suit jacket and emptyed his pockets. Behind him, the shareholders were quiet. Haynes's sister and one of his daughters clung to each other, their sobs breaking the silence. Haynes quickly saw them once before the ex-s handcuffed him and kicked him out of the room.
One day in October last year, Tucker received a call from an FBI investigator. That was good news. Federal officials have recovered $8 million of stolen funds hidden in an account full of Tether, a popular cryptocurrency. The stash was a small portion of what Haynes stole, but it would be enough to just refund shareholders almost all the money they invested in the bank.
The jubilant Tucker may have felt relieved by his grief. His father was in and out of the hospital, and doctors warned him that there were only a few days left for him to live there. That night, Tucker went to his father's hospital room and shared what he had heard. Bill Tucker flashed several times and said, “Oh, me.” He passed away a week later.
