PITTSBURGH - A former Alabama resident has been sentenced in federal court to 17 years (212 months) in prison on his convictions for Conspiracy, Transfer of False Identification Documents, Mail Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Albert McCall, age 59, of Montgomery, Alabama.
According to information presented to the court, McCall went on a multi-state crime spree during 2016 and 2017 in which he engaged in at least five different fraud schemes.
The defendant is a long-time con artist who traveled around the country engaging in various fraud schemes, primarily involving identity theft. By his own admission, made on a recorded telephone call with a co-conspirator, McCall has been committing fraud for seventeen years. His frauds include the following:
1. Manufacturing Counterfeit Ohio Drivers Licenses McCall either manufactured or has manufactured counterfeit Ohio drivers licenses that he and others used in various fraudulent schemes;
2. Instant Credit Schemes in these schemes, McCall or a conspirator entered a retail establishment and, using a fake Ohio drivers license and the personal identification information of a victim, applied for credit and, if approved, instantly made significant purchases using that credit;
3. Casino Fraud in these schemes, McCall or a conspirator entered a casino and either passed counterfeit checks or applied for credit using a counterfeit Ohio drivers license;
4. Counterfeit Credit Cards McCall and his conspirators used counterfeit credit cards, often in conjunction with the counterfeit Ohio drivers licenses, to rent cars, obtain hotel rooms, and to make purchases of merchandise. These counterfeit credit cards were obtained by purchasing, through dark websites, stolen credit card information, and then using equipment to place that information on the magnetic strips of credit cards; and
5. Car Loan Fraud McCall and his conspirators obtained credit reports through dark websites and then used that information to apply for a loan to purchase a vehicle at a complicit dealership. After purchasing the vehicle, McCall arranged to sell the car to a chop shop, which in turn sold the parts.
The investigation of McCall included conduct in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, Alabama,Michigan and other states, and the total losses exceeded $1 million. The Court enhanced thedefendants advisory Sentencing Guideline range based on the sophisticated nature of the defendants schemes, which included use of the dark web and amassing a network of operativeswho helped him execute his scheme across multiple states. The Court also enhanced his sentencebased on the leadership role he played amongst these operatives and because he obstructed justice.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Schwab stated that in his twenty years as a Judge, he hasnever seen an identity theft scheme more complex or that had as many victims.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the United States Secret Service for theinvestigation leading to the successful prosecution of McCall, and Ms. Chung further recognizedthe many other law enforcement agencies and departments involved in this complex multi-statecase, including the following: U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, thePennsylvania State Police, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Allegheny County PoliceDepartment, the Wilkins Township Police Department, the Warren, Michigan Police Department,the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Columbus, Ohio Police Department, the Canfield, Ohio PoliceDepartment, the Westfield Center, Ohio Police Department, the Beavercreek, Ohio PoliceDepartment, the Clearcreek Township, Ohio Police Department, the Reynoldsburg, Ohio Police Department, the Zainesville, Ohio Police Department, the Grove City, Ohio Police Department, theState of Ohio Gaming Commission, the State of Indiana Gaming Commission, and the State ofKentucky Gaming Commission.
Source: U.S. Secret Service