GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Charles J. Finley, a 26-year-old man from Detroit, will serve 10.5 years in federal prison for his role in a traveling fraud scheme that targeted high-value Meijer gift cards.
The investigation, led by the Grand Rapids office of the U.S. Secret Service, began in May 2012 after loss-prevention investigators at Meijer corporation discovered that teams of identity thieves were visiting stores in the Lansing and Grand Rapids area and purchasing gift cards using credit cards that had been re-encoded with account data from compromised credit card accounts.
The in-store cards were then used to purchase large numbers of expensive electronic devices such as iPads, iPhones, and laptop computers. The subsequent prosecution resulted in felony convictions of eight Detroit residents for identity theft, wire fraud, and conspiracy.
The lead defendants in the case were sentenced as follows: Charles J. Finley will serve 10.5 years in federal prison and pay $95,489 in restitution to the victims of the crime. Sharonique S. Pointer, 22, will serve 24 months; Mark A. Houston, Jr., 24, will serve 36 months; Donald D. Peterson, Jr., 26, will serve 33 months; Gary K. Smith-Brown, Jr., 27, will serve 36 months; Adrian R. Evans, 26, will serve 75 months; and Dewain J. Clark, 29, will serve 24 months.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagen W. Frank, who leads the U.S. Attorney’s Office identity-theft task force.
U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles, Jr. stressed his office’s commitment to pursuing all forms of identity theft, describing it as one of the most serious and growing forms of white-collar crime.
The investigation demonstrated the commitment of the U.S. Secret Service to partner with private industry to pursue financial crimes cases, said Resident Agent-in-Charge Kim Cheatle.
Related Federal Cases
- Jermain R. Stevenson, Identity Theft, Ohio 2023 · Michigan
- Zachary Stephen Thomas, Mail Theft and Check Forgery, Michigan 2016 · Michigan
- Derrick Courtney Franklin II, Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, Idaho 2016 · Colorado
- Letitia James Demands ICE Identity Disclosure, New York, 2023 · Illinois
- Derrick Lee Smith, Public Corruption Scandal, Michigan 2023 · Rhode Island
Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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