A Missouri man was recently sentenced to more than four years in prison and ordered to pay restitution after admitting to using stolen identities to purchase vehicles from dealers throughout the country. The Eureka Police assisted in the investigation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Michael Calvin, 45, on Sept. 15 was sentenced to 51 months in prison and ordered to pay $193,960.82 in restitution. In May, he had pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravate identity theft, court documents said.
According to the guilty plea, Calvin purchased stolen personal information and a template of Missouri driver’s license from the dark web. He then created fake licenses and identification cards to buy vehicles from out-of-state dealerships between November 2023 through August 2024.
He was shot on Aug. 13, 2024, in St. Louis while trying to sell one of the vehicles he purchased. He was living in a Rolla motel at the time of his arrest, according to court documents.
Calvin bought at least five vehicles worth a combined $333,970 by using the fake identifications and stolen personal information, the guilty plea said.
■ On Nov. 1, 2023, Calvin purchased a Chevrolet Camaro in Iowa for $45,122.
■ On Feb. 24, 2024, he purchased a Jeep Cherokee in Wisconsin for $43,967.
■ On April 29, 2024, Calvin purchased a Dodge Charger Hellcat in Tennessee for $90,785.
■ On July 8, 2024, he purchased a Chevrolet Corvette in Oklahoma for $61,175.
■ On Aug. 2, 2024, Calvin purchased a Dodge Durango in Wisconsin for $92,921.
Along with Eureka Police, the case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service; the St. Louis Police; the Missouri State Highway Patrol; the Ohio State Highway Patrol; and police departments in Independence, Raymore, Richmond Heights, Rolla and St. Ann in Missouri; as well as police departments in Davenport, Iowa; El Reno, Okla.; Fond du Lac, Wisc.; and Lombard, Ill.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Roy prosecuted the case.