A third man involved in a major Mid-Michigan fraud scheme has received his sentence, concluding the legal proceedings against a trio accused of identity theft and forgery.
Eaton County Circuit Judge Janice Cunningham sentenced Dwayne Johnson, 60, of St. Louis, Michigan, to one year of probation on Thursday, April 2.
Charges and Plea
In November, Johnson pleaded guilty to:
- Identity theft
- Attempted false pretenses over $100,000
- Counterfeiting, forging, or using a state ID card to commit a felony
Johnson’s two codefendants, Averill Dintaman, 47, and Daniel Nolan, 51, both of Mount Pleasant, previously pleaded guilty to related charges and were sentenced to three to 20 years in prison.
Scheme Details
According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, the 2022 fraud involved:
- Dintaman and Nolan stealing a Michigan man’s identity
- Forging a durable power of attorney to claim an unclaimed property check totaling $579,551.99
- Recruiting Johnson to impersonate the victim in person at the Department of Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Office to obtain a second copy of the check
“This was a deliberate attempt to steal more than half a million dollars from the State of Michigan and from the rightful owner of these funds,” Nessel said. “I am thankful for the diligent work of the Department of Treasury and the prosecutors in my office who worked tirelessly to secure these convictions. We remain committed to ensuring that those who commit identity theft, fraud or forgery are held accountable.”
This sentencing marks the conclusion of the high-profile fraud case that drew statewide attention for its scale and audacity.