A Virginia Beach man spent 7 years in prison for a scam that netted millions. Now he’s going back for a nearly identical scheme. Jane Harper, The Virginian-Pilot Ronald A. Smith was still in prison for a loan scheme that had netted him millions when he began planning and organizing his next scam. Just one month after the Virginia Beach man was released in 2012, he had a new business up and running — nearly identical to the one that had landed him behind bars. By the time he was arrested again last year, the new venture had cheated about 1,700 customers out of more than $1 million, according to federal prosecutors.