Federal investigators say he additionally bought “ghost guns” (untraceable firearms) that he manufactured and marketed for $1,500 on the Darkish Internet, together with counterfeit bank cards and faux IDs.
TAMPA – A federal decide has sentenced a Tampa man to 5 years and 10 months in federal jail in reference to identification theft and possession of firearms, in keeping with the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Center District of Florida.
Michael Prime, 40, of Tampa and previously of Brandon, pleaded responsible Dec. 12 to charged of entry gadget (bank card) fraud, identification theft, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Prime was additionally ordered to pay a $2,000 tremendous.
In response to court docket paperwork, on Sept. 29, 2018, regulation enforcement officers searched Prime’s residence in Tampa. Prime, a multiple-convicted felon, unlawfully possessed firearms and ammunition.
Whereas looking Prime’s house, regulation enforcement officers seized 1,774 counterfeit credit score and debit playing cards; 1,490 clean playing cards, a few of which contained magnetic stripes and credit score or debit card chips; 37 counterfeit driver licenses and IDs; counterfeit Social Safety card templates; sheets of holograms used for manufacturing bank cards, debit playing cards and IDs; counterfeit chips for credit score and debit card manufacturing; and printers and engravers (together with a bank card printing machine and 3D printers).
A search of Prime’s digital gear resulted within the discovery of a whole lot of extra credit score and debit account numbers, pictures of about 32 drivers licenses and ID playing cards, driving permits from about 12 completely different issuing states, a counterfeit U.S. Military ID card purportedly for a lieutenant colonel, 5 pictures of Canadian driver licenses, two Portuguese citizen identification playing cards, and the picture of a counterfeit Republic de Angola passport, 5 pictures of Social Safety playing cards, and 4 pictures of a counterfeit $100 U.S. Federal Reserve word.
Investigators mentioned they realized that Prime bought “ghost guns” (untraceable firearms) that he manufactured and marketed for $1,500 on the Darkish Internet, together with counterfeit bank cards and faux IDs. He additionally bought counterfeit bank cards on the web site Republic of Lampeduza, which facilitated the fee of bank card fraud by internet hosting, receiving, and promoting stolen credit score and debit card account info ensuing from on-line breaches.
In complete, investigators seized roughly 5,493 entry (bank card) units from Prime, together with bank card account numbers, debit card account numbers, and Social Safety numbers. As a beforehand convicted felon, Prime is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition beneath federal regulation.
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