GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Seven people are facing federal charges in connection with a West Michigan identity theft and credit card fraud scheme that officials say resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
The United States Postal Inspection Service says the suspects would open new credit cards in victims’ names, have them shipped to their homes and then steal them from their mailboxes. The cards were then used at Meijer stores in Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Kalamazoo, Portage and other areas, according to a release.
Investigators began receiving complaints about the incidents back in March from people who had fraudulent credit cards opened in their name. The scheme resulted in nearly $400,000 in losses, authorities said in a release.
The suspects in the case are: Michael Marcus Dillard, 28; Natia Monique Hudson, 27; Fabian Leon Johnson, Jr., 24; Kendal Adriane Jones, 20; Edward Lee Rolle, 24; Travis Keon Rolle, 29; and Dontwan Alan Sanders, 31.
They are all charged with access device fraud, a 15-year felony, as well as charges of aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit fraud and aggravated identity theft. Edward Rolle, Travis Rolle and Michael Dillard face additional charges of possession of stolen mail, a five-year felony.
All but two of the suspects are from Kalamazoo. Hudson and Travis Rolle are from Miami.
“Today’s indictments serve as an example to those who criminally misuse the U.S. Mail, that Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners will find you, arrest you and bring you to justice for your crimes against the U.S. Postal Service and their customers,” said Patricia A. Armstrong, Inspector in Charge of the Detroit division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.