A Grand Rapids, Michigan man found himself to be one in 50 people across the United States that was accused of participating in the white collar crime of identity theft. The Michigan resident was arrested this past Wednesday in the culmination of an investigation in which several law enforcement agencies combined to target the individuals. As of the day of the arrest, he was awaiting transportation to Puerto Rico in the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

The cooperative law enforcement group accused the man of producing and helping sell false Social Security cards, drivers' licenses and birth certificates from Puerto Rico to non-residents. According to the report, the documents were sold for approximately $700 to $2,500. The documents in combination could be used to obtain a United States passport.

The scheme allegedly included participants from 15 states, including Illinois, Indiana, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Ohio, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Michigan.

According to a federal Indictment, the alleged scheme ran from April of 2009 to 2011. Code words such as "shirts" or "uniforms" were reportedly used to identify which type of document was requested for sale. Sizes were used to indicate the age of the person who was to purchase the document.

If charged and convicted, the federal sentencing guidelines list a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine and possible forfeiture that the Michigan man could face. An experienced criminal defense attorney can help mitigate the possible penalties faced by a person charged with a crime. In some cases, charges could even be dismissed.

Source: Wood 8, "Nationwide fake ID scam suspect in GR," Jan. 11, 2012