United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced the sentencing of Jeremy Zwetzig, a Mitchell, South Dakota resident, for aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange sentenced Zwetzig to two years in federal prison on December 2, 2024.
Zwetzig, aged 44, will also face one year of supervised release following his prison term. He is required to pay restitution amounting to $1,935.90 and a special assessment fee of $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The indictment against Zwetzig was issued by a federal grand jury in August 2023. He entered a guilty plea on August 29, 2024.
The charges relate to an incident on January 23, 2023, when Zwetzig stole mail in Mitchell that included a check not intended for him. He used information from this legitimate business check to forge another check drawn on the same account without the account holder's knowledge. The fraudulent check was made payable to a real person and deposited into an account that Zwetzig had opened fraudulently using the account holder's name.
The investigation was conducted by the Mitchell Police Department, the U.S Postal Inspection Service, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman led the prosecution.
Zwetzig has been granted permission to self-report to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service by December 30, 2024.