Source: Office of United States Attorneys
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney Joel Louis Violanti announced today that Michael Grimm 45, of Spencerport, NY, who was convicted of wire fraud, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Charles J. Siragusa. Grimm was also ordered to pay approximately $16,000 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that Grimm, and co-defendant Nickola Marie Ferra, engaged in an extensive pattern of conduct involving document fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, retail theft, and identity theft. Part of the scheme involved Grimm and others obtaining merchandise by theft or fraud from local retailers, which was then returned in exchange for gift cards and store credit or sold to third parties. In furtherance of the scheme, Grimm presented forged and/or stolen passports and other stolen identification information to merchants. Grimm also admitted his role in the theft of personal identifying information and credit information belonging to multiple individuals, which he and others used to make fraudulent purchases, including car and hotel rentals. The stolen identity information was also used in attempts to open credit cards and obtain loans. To date, at least 10 identity theft victims have been identified resulting in thousands of dollars in losses.
Nickola Marie Ferra was previously convicted and sentenced to serve 27 months in prison.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Brian Wood, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
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