A Seattle man, Ryan M. Tichy, 42, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in an Idaho court.
According to court records, from at least May 2018 through November 2020, Tichy executed a scheme to defraud wherein he obtained the means of identification of many individuals and used that information to create false identification documents, open credit accounts, obtain loans, takeover existing credit accounts, and make purchases.
The fraudulently obtained means of identification included names, social security numbers, dates of birth, and account numbers. After he gathered that information, Tichy would often create a fake driver’s license using his picture but the victim’s name.
Tichy travelled around Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, and elsewhere to make fraudulent purchases. When law enforcement executed a search warrant on December 2, 2020, they discovered a mobile identity theft lab inside a trailer Tichy purchased using another person’s identity.
The trailer contained materials, machines, computers, and printers for use in producing counterfeit identity cards and debit/credit cards. The trailer also contained foils, blank stock for driver’s licenses, an embosser, a card punch, printers, counterfeit driver’s licenses in various stages of completion, and counterfeit credit cards.
Tichy is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud and a mandatory minimum of two years for aggravated identity theft.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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Key Facts
- State: Idaho
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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