A former bank executive in Harrison County
John Aman, 60, of Clarksburg
U.S. Senior District Judge
Frederick P. Stamp Jr. also ordered Aman to pay restitution totaling
$132,355.30, along with forfeiture and the special assessment fee which comes
with felonies.
The sentence comes after Aman, a
former vice president at Huntington National Bank and West Union Bank, pleaded
guilty to one count of bank fraud out of an 11 count indictment which charged
him with obtaining loans by abusing the power of attorney designated to him by
an elderly in-law.
The original indictment charged him
with acquiring nearly $500,000, using the relative’s stock as collateral. When
the loans to Freedom Bank were not paid back on time, the stocks were sold.
During the sentencing on Monday,
Aman apologized to his family in attendance as well as the banks and the court,
saying he was deeply sorry for his actions.
The defense argued he should not
have to serve time in prison, stating the sentencing guidelines exaggerated the
crime and he and his family had gone through years of civil litigation for the
same incident.
Judge Stamp disagreed, claiming no
time in prison would sent a “very inappropriate message” based on the severity
of the crime.
Aman is currently the general
manager of the Central West Virginia Transit Authority. The defense, government
and CENTRA have all stated his crimes did not involve his work with the bus
service. The CENTRA board stood behind Aman during his legal proceedings, even
giving him a raise at one point.
Aman was given the chance to
self-report to prison by noon on October 22.
