COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Columbus man was was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for fraud crimes related to stealing identities to get more than $100,000 in fraudulent lines of credit.
Siyuan Ye, 24, pleaded guilty in February to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker’s office.
According to his plea agreement, between January 2022 and August 2023, Ye stole the identities of at least 15 victims.
He also repeatedly obtained Ohio and Florida driver's licenses of other individuals without their authorization. He used those licenses to fraudulently obtain credit from retailers in the victims’ names.
Parker’s office said Ye used the credit to purchase a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, three motorcycles and electronics.
In April 2023, Ye used a stolen identity and fraudulent line of credit to buy $8,400 worth of goods from a Micro Center in Columbus. He bought graphics cards, laptops and an Apple watch.
In the same month, Parker’s office said he used an Ohio victim’s identity to buy a Suzuki motorcycle at Iron Pony Motorsports in Westerville.
Parker's office says Ye entered the country in 2017 on a student visa to attend the Ohio State University. He did not complete his degree and unlawfully remained in the United States.
As part of his plea deal, Ye agreed to pay more than $78,000 in restitution.
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