SEATTLE – Michael John Suryan, 54, formerly of Everett, Washington, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 65 months for operating a sophisticated “mobile ID theft lab” that fueled a wave of bank fraud and identity theft across Snohomish County. U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones also ordered Suryan to serve five years of supervised release and pay $59,177 in restitution.
The bust, which originated in January 2013, saw Suryan apprehended in a Shoreline, Washington motel room meticulously rigged as a forgery operation. Federal authorities discovered a cache of over 50 fake Washington State driver’s licenses, alongside handwritten notes detailing the personal information – dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and credit card details – of over 200 victims. Suryan wasn’t stealing the info himself; he was the guy making it *work* for the thieves.
According to court documents, Suryan and his network of co-schemers weren’t just cashing a few bad checks. They were systematically exploiting stolen identities to open lines of credit at department stores, racking up over $30,000 in fraudulent purchases. The forged checks recovered totaled over $50,000, bringing the total monetary loss inflicted on victims to nearly $113,000. Suryan crafted both checks made out to his accomplices *and* checks made out to the stolen identities, providing matching fake IDs to facilitate the fraud.
Prosecutors argued Suryan wasn’t a mere participant in these crimes, but a key enabler. “Suryan served as a lynchpin of identity theft activity in Snohomish County in the latter half of 2012,” a sentencing memo stated. “The forgery service provided by the defendant helped incentivize countless break-ins of mailboxes, homes, and vehicles by criminals searching for victim data.” His business model, they emphasized, *depended* on others continuing to victimize the community.
Judge Jones acknowledged Suryan’s methamphetamine addiction during sentencing, but stressed that “his greed and his crime had a grave impact on the citizens of the community.” The investigation was a joint effort between the Everett Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service, highlighting the multi-agency cooperation needed to dismantle these types of criminal enterprises. Assistant United States Attorney Ehren Reynolds prosecuted the case.
Suryan’s conviction serves as a stark reminder that those who profit from the misery of others – by facilitating identity theft and fraud – will face serious consequences. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on efforts to combat the rising tide of identity theft across the nation.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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