East St. Louis, IL (KSDK) - A former inmate was sentenced to 12 years in prison for participating in an identity theft scheme while incarcerated.
Danwine Dewayne Renard, 47, was also ordered to pay $122,943.72 in restitution and a $49,000 forfeiture judgment. He will serve five years of supervised release after he leaves prison.
Renard pled guilty on July 27 to a four count superseding indictment charging conspiracy to commit mail, wire and bank fraud; aiding and abetting bank fraud; and two counts of aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft.
When Renard pled guilty, he entered into a factual stipulation that indicated between July 2008 and November 17, 2010 he engaged in identity theft, fraudulent identification documents, mail fraud, wire fraud, and bank fraud in Madison and St. Clair counties in Illinois. He acted with others, including Sleena Marie Bradford.
Renard's role in the conspiracy consisted of providing advice, guidance, and encouragement through prison phone calls and mail to his co-conspirators.
Bradford would obtain state identification documents in the names of real people, and would open bank accounts in those names with co-conspirators.
The bank accounts would then be inflated with checks from other fraudulently opened bank accounts. The money would then be withdrawn, often through ATMs, despite insufficient funds in the accounts.
Bad checks would also be used to purchase merchandise, and a co-conspirator would also produce fake payroll checks and cash them at various places.
Money received through these actions was used for living expenses, costs associated with the scheme, purchase of merchandise, and for Renard's prison trust account.
Food stamp benefits were also obtained through the names of other individuals.
Renard has been in custody since he was arraigned on December 6, 2010.
Bradford is serving 11 years in prison, and was ordered to pay $122,943.72 in restitution.
KSDK