Virginia man found guilty of threatening to blow up Roanoke and harm Federal Credit Union staff
Roanoke, Virginia – A Gainesville man, Brandon Hayward, was convicted last week of making threats in interstate commerce after a two-day trial. The 35-year-old was found guilty of two counts of knowingly transmitting threats to injure employees of the InFirst Federal Credit Union.
According to evidence presented at the trial, the incident occurred on August 15, 2022. Hayward called the InFirst Federal Credit Union customer service line with a complaint about his account. Unsatisfied with the assistance he received, Hayward began to issue violent threats to two different employees.
Hayward specifically threatened to rape and kill one of the employees, referred to as Victim 1. He mentioned retrieving his shotgun and finding her by searching for her last name. He stated, “You think you’re safe in Roanoke; you’re not.” Later, Hayward threatened to go to the home of another employee, referred to as Victim 2, and rape her. Both victims had previous encounters with Hayward through their employment at the credit union.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Protective Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristin B. Johnson and Lee Brett are prosecuting the case for the United States.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia made the announcement following Hayward’s conviction. Hayward now faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to five years in federal prison at his sentencing.
