Michael Grimm, a 45-year-old resident of Spencerport, NY, has been sentenced to 60 months in prison for his involvement in a fraud scheme. Acting U.S. Attorney Joel Louis Violanti made the announcement following the sentencing by U.S. District Court Judge Charles J. Siragusa. In addition to the prison term, Grimm is required to pay approximately $16,000 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who managed the case, detailed that Grimm and his co-defendant Nickola Marie Ferra were involved in multiple fraudulent activities including document fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, retail theft, and identity theft. The scheme included obtaining merchandise through theft or fraud from local retailers and then returning it for gift cards and store credit or selling it to third parties.
Grimm also used forged or stolen passports along with other identification information during these fraudulent activities. He admitted to stealing personal identifying information and credit details from various individuals to make unauthorized purchases such as car rentals and hotel stays. The stolen identities were further used in attempts to open credit cards and secure loans. At least ten victims of identity theft have been identified so far, resulting in significant financial losses.
Nickola Marie Ferra had already been convicted earlier and sentenced to 27 months in prison.
The investigation leading to Grimm's sentencing was conducted by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service under Special Agent-in-Charge Brian Wood's direction and Homeland Security Investigations led by Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.