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Bitcoin seized and forfeited in connection with a federal investigation of a fake ID scheme by a Toledo man sold for $19.22 million, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office in Cleveland.
Mark A. Simon, 37, of Toledo, was previously sentenced to 24 months in prison by District Court Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick on a conviction for transferring false identification documents or authentication features and conspiracy to launder money.
According to court documents, Simon produced and sold false identification documents, including false identification documents which appeared to be driver's licenses and personal identification cards issued by the states of Ohio, Michigan, and Utah.
Individuals seeking to purchase these false IDs would order them from Simon's website, the news release states. The purchaser sent a digital photo and biographical information for the false IDs. The purchasers would pay in bitcoin for the documents and shipping.
The false IDs produced by Simon would be mailed to the purchasers via the U.S. Postal Service bearing prepaid express mail stamps, with false return addresses in the Toledo area.
Bitcoin seized during the investigation were initially valued at $2.877 million, but increased in value dramatically during the later forfeiture procedure.
The net return from the sale of the bitcoin was the largest net forfeiture in U.S. Court Northern District of Ohio's history, according to the news release.
This false ID case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Ohio Department of Public Safety's investigative unit, the release states.