A federal jury convicted a Newport News man on multiple charges stemming from a string of bank and credit union robberies carried out over several weeks earlier this year, according to court records and evidence presented at trial.
Tyrone K. Jefferson, 38, of Newport News, was found guilty on charges of bank robbery, bank robbery with a dangerous weapon, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Prosecutors said Jefferson worked at a rental car company where he had access to vehicles and license plates, which he stole, including a sedan later used as a getaway car. Between Feb. 4 and Feb. 26, 2025, Jefferson used the stolen vehicle to rob a credit union and two banks in the Newport News area, court records show. In each incident, he threw a bag to a teller and demanded it be filled with cash, instructing employees not to include dye packs or tracking devices. He brandished a firearm during two of the three robberies. Investigators said Jefferson also used the stolen vehicle to visit a Portsmouth casino after the robberies.
On Feb. 27, 2025, Newport News police attempted to stop the stolen sedan, but the driver fled at a high rate of speed before abandoning the vehicle and escaping on foot. Officers found mail, court documents, and other paperwork bearing Jefferson’s name inside the car, according to court records.
Jefferson struck again on March 7, 2025, robbing another credit union by brandishing a firearm and ordering a teller to fill a bag with money before fleeing on foot, prosecutors said.
His arrest came after investigators traced him on March 27 to the same Portsmouth casino, which he traveled to in a rented vehicle. A search of that vehicle turned up rental paperwork in his name, a stolen handgun, and an extended magazine, according to court documents.
Jefferson has five prior felony convictions, prosecutors said, including assault of a federal employee in 2018 for macing a Navy police officer, as well as earlier convictions for carrying a concealed weapon, possession of stolen property, hit and run, grand larceny, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and eluding police.
He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 21 years and up to life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 23, when a federal judge will determine the final sentence after considering federal guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office with assistance from the Henrico County Police Division and Newport News Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mack Coleman and Alyson C. Yates.
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