KANSAS CITY, MO – Michael B. Becher, 40, of Raytown, Missouri, is staring down a lengthy prison sentence after pleading guilty to both a sophisticated fraud scheme exploiting stolen identities and a large-scale methamphetamine distribution operation. Becher confessed in federal court to his role in a conspiracy that defrauded Johnson County, Kansas employees, and to moving nearly 1,000 kilograms of meth.
The fraud, committed between February 1 and June 30, 2019, centered around the personally identifiable information of current and former Johnson County, Kansas government employees. That data was compromised in a 2015 data breach. Becher and his co-conspirators used this stolen information to open fraudulent credit accounts, racking up purchases at Lowe’s and Home Depot. Becher’s specific role was crafting counterfeit driver’s licenses to match the stolen identities, performing credit checks beforehand to gauge the likelihood of successfully opening accounts.
Court records show Becher personally made at least seven fraudulent purchases, totaling between $1,617 and $8,049 per transaction, using the identities of three victims. He then flipped the stolen goods – likely power tools and building materials – for half their value, pocketing the profits and sharing the remainder with his co-conspirators. Co-defendant Rachel R. Jarman, 35, address unknown, previously pleaded guilty to her part in the fraud conspiracy on December 17, 2021.
But the fraud wasn’t Becher’s only criminal enterprise. He’s also admitted to involvement in a separate, massive drug operation, responsible for distributing at least 185 kilograms of methamphetamine between September 1, 2018, and November 5, 2019. The scale of the operation reportedly involved daily purchases of multiple pounds of the drug. This is a serious escalation from petty theft to large scale drug trafficking.
Facing up to five years in federal prison without parole for the fraud conspiracy, Becher has reached a plea agreement in the drug trafficking case for a 20-year sentence, also without parole. While the maximum statutory sentence is determined by Congress, the final decision rests with Judge Howard F. Sachs, who will consider sentencing guidelines and other factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the U.S. Probation Office completes a presentence investigation.
The case was a joint effort by the Olathe, Kansas Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service, prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Cooper and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Daly. The investigation highlights the increasing interconnectedness of seemingly disparate crimes, with individuals often involved in multiple illegal activities simultaneously. The Johnson County data breach continues to have ramifications years after the initial incident, turning employees into victims of identity theft and fueling criminal enterprises like this one.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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