Joel Delano Powell III, Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Minnesota 2023

MINNEAPOLIS—A large, multi-state identity theft ring has been dismantled with six individuals receiving prison sentences ranging from 32 to 300 months in prison.

The sentencing of Joel Delano Powell III, age 20, of Minneapolis, to 42 months in prison; and Trey Jeremiah Powell, age 20, of Brooklyn Park, to 57 months in prison, marked the latest development in the case. Both had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Earlier this week, Joel Delano Powell, Jr., age 47, of St. Louis Park, was sentenced to 300 months in prison. Powell, Jr. was convicted following a jury trial in August and September 2012 of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, seven counts of aiding and abetting bank fraud, and five counts of aggravated identity theft.

In addition to the Powell defendants, Elston Edwards Sharps, age 47, of Minneapolis, was sentenced to 32 months in prison; Kevin Terrell Martin, age 46, of St. Paul, to 124 months in prison; and Steven Lavell Maxwell, age 44, also of Minneapolis, to 140 months in prison. All three had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

The identity theft ring, which operated from 2006 through December 2011, involved over 100 individuals and defrauded banks, bank customers, and businesses. The co-conspirators used victim information to create counterfeit checks and false identification documents to conduct fraudulent transactions at retail establishments where expensive merchandise was purchased and returned for cash. At banks, the conspirators posed as customers and withdrew money from victims’ bank accounts.

The investigation, led by the Minnesota Financial Crimes Task Force, was a result of partnerships between agencies and the efforts of all involved. Patrick Henry, the head of the Minnesota Financial Crimes Task Force, praised the collaboration, saying, “This investigation came together as a result of the partnerships between agencies and the extraordinary efforts of all involved.”

The case also highlights the importance of law enforcement agencies working together to combat identity theft and other financial crimes. Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigations, St. Paul Field Office, noted, “Individuals who commit identity fraud of this magnitude deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. These individuals caused immeasurable hardship to innocent victims.”

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