Rockford Man Sentenced to 65 Months for Wire Fraud

Anthony Hardy, 42, has been sentenced to 65 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Frederick J. Kapala for wire fraud and identity theft. He will also face five years of supervised released and was ordered to pay over $200,000 in restitution.

Hardy pleaded guilty in February to defrauding large chain stores by fraudulently purchasing and returning items for cash.  The scheme is said to have taken place between mid-2010 and January 2012 and involved tens of thousands of dollars of merchandise.  As part of the scheme, he and others used counterfeit checks and identification to purchase items from stores such as Wal-Mart and Farm-and-Fleet at locations in various states. They would then return the items to a different store location to obtain the cash refunds.

In the plea agreement, Hardy also admitted that he knew at the time that some of the names and addresses on the checks and ID’s were false.  He is also guilty of unlawfully possessing and using a social security number from another person to commit wire fraud.

Three other individuals have been charged in a separate indictment for their roles in Hardy’s wire fraud scheme. William Dorn, 24, Cameron Love, 28, and 44-year-old Anthony Taylor, have all plead guilty to one count of wire fraud.