Press Release
Contact:
ANDREW B. BIRGE
FIRST ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY
PHONE: (616) 456-2404
RING OF FIVE ALLEGED IDENTITY THIEVES CHARGED FEDERALLY
TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2009 -
Grand Rapids, Michigan – Seth Ryan, age 29, Grzegorz Stachurski, age 28, Kimberly
Stachurski, a.k.a. Kimberly Kolar, age 28, and Michael Boerger, age 27, all from Chicago,
Illinois, were arraigned today on a federal indictment that contains fifteen counts, which include
conspiracy to commit retail fraud, credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney
Donald A. Davis announced today. A fifth defendant, Arthur C. Smith, IV, age 39, also from
Chicago, has yet to be arraigned.
The conspiracy count alleges the five defendants engaged in an agreement or understanding to commit fraud against retail merchants in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. The count carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, a special assessment of $100, a term of supervised release and restitution of the illegally taken funds. The multiple counts of credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft allegedly took place in April 2007. The estimated fraud against the retailers Meijer and Target exceeds $60,000 for one weekend of credit card fraud/shopping. Each credit card fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, a special assessment of $100, a term of supervised release and restitution of the illegally taken funds. Each aggravated identity theft count carries a mandatory two year term of incarceration, a fine of $250,000, a special assessment of $100, a term of supervised release and restitution of the illegally taken funds.
Mr. Davis praised the investigative work on the case by the U.S. Secret Service, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department, the Portage Police Department and the Michigan State Police. The lead case agent is Special Agent Shawn Smith of the U.S. Secret Service. Detective William Sparrow, representing the Kalamazoo Sheriff’s Department, preserved two computer laptops belonging to the defendants and recovered a significant amount of the fraudulently obtained retail goods. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. MacDonald will prosecute the case for the government.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
END
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