Michigan man sentenced for role in $500,000 id theft scheme

A 60-year-old Michigan resident has been sentenced to a year of probation for his involvement in a $500,000 identity theft and fraud operation.

Johnson pleads guilty to id theft charges

Dwayne Johnson, of St. Louis in Gratiot County, pleaded guilty in November to one count each of attempted false pretenses over $100,000, counterfeiting, and identity theft. According to court records, Johnson forged a state ID card to impersonate a Michigan man and claim an unclaimed property check worth $579,551.

Johnson's scheme was part of a larger operation involving Averill Dintaman, 47, and Daniel Nolan, 51, both from Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. The trio conspired to steal the Michigan man's identity and stole a power-of-attorney document to obtain the $579,551 check. All three were charged in May 2025.

Dintaman and Nolan were each sentenced to 3 to 20 years in prison, with Dintaman receiving his sentence in December and Nolan in January.