FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – A Farmington Hills man was sentenced to prison for a scheme in which he used fake IDs to buy cellphones that were charged to other people.
Darius Whitlow, 31, of Farmington Hills, is accused of buying cellphones on payment plans and only paying the sales tax upfront. The plans were linked to the names of people on fake IDs whose identities had been stolen, according to authorities.
Officials said Whitlow repeated the scheme multiple times with multiple providers.
“Mr. Whitlow’s actions have caused long-term harm to his many victims, who now must work to repair their stolen identities,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said.
Whitlow pleaded guilty to organized retail fraud, identity theft, and false pretenses between $1,000 and $20,000. He was sentenced Tuesday, Aug. 1, in Emmet County Circuit Court to 29-60 months in prison.
