Michael Hanan Sentenced for $90K Forest Service Identity Theft

Michael Hanan, 35, of Sussex, Wisconsin, is going to federal prison for 4 years after stealing personal data from U.S. Forest Service employees to fuel a $90,000 credit card fraud spree. The former Human Resources Labor Relations Specialist abused his access to sensitive employee records to open dozens of retail credit cards in victims’ names—many of them coworkers and former colleagues.

Hanan pleaded guilty in September 2016 to one count of access-device fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(5) and one count of aggravated identity theft under 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. Between February and May 2016, he used stolen Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and other identifying information to apply for Meijer and K-Mart / Sears credit cards. He also exploited the personal data of his own family members to expand the scheme.

The fraud wasn’t subtle. Hanan loaded up on prepaid gift cards, food, and personal-grooming products—goods easily resold or used without raising immediate suspicion. He never made a single payment. The unpaid balances piled up, causing over $90,000 in actual losses to financial institutions and leaving a trail of ruined credit for his victims.

Arrested on May 5, 2016, Hanan was released under strict court-ordered conditions while awaiting trial. He ignored them. Federal prosecutors say he continued committing identity theft from behind the guise of freedom, repeatedly violating the terms of his pre-trial release. His betrayal of public trust deepened with every new fraudulent application.

The case exposed systemic vulnerabilities in federal personnel data handling. Hanan’s role within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service gave him unfettered access to files containing sensitive personal information. Investigators from the USDA Office of the Inspector General, Greenfield Police Department, U.S. Postal Service, and Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department spent months piecing together the scope of the fraud.

Hanan now faces 4 years behind bars, followed by 3 years of supervised release. His brother, Daniel W. Hanan, pleaded guilty in October 2016 to conspiring to obstruct Michael’s criminal proceedings under 18 U.S.C. § 1512 and awaits sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Taibleson and Carol Kraft prosecuted the case in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The message from federal prosecutors is clear: betray the public’s trust for profit, and prison will follow.

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