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Jackson, Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud
Mario Martinez Smiley, a 56-year-old man from Fort Worth, Texas, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with the theft of a 2023 Ford Shelby F-150 valued at $130,850 from a local automobile dealership in Jackson, Mississippi.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2023, Smiley fraudulently obtained the expensive truck by representing himself to be another individual and using someone else’s credit card number to make a $5,000 down payment on the truck.
Smiley was recruited by an individual in Texas to pick up vehicles in exchange for $1,000 each. He induced a salesperson from the dealership to meet him in Ruston, Louisiana, where he took possession of the truck after posing for a photograph with it.
The case was investigated through the partnership of the United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office in the Cyber Fraud Task Force.
Smiley was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 4, 2025. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 27, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and the United States Secret Service made the announcement of Smiley’s guilty plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
The mandatory facts of this case are as follows: Defendant, Mario Martinez Smiley, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the Southern District of Mississippi. The crime occurred in May 2023. Smiley is scheduled to be sentenced on August 27, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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