An Arlington man used fake driver’s licenses and stolen credit card information to buy luxury items like an ATV, a Rolex watch and an original artwork by Pablo Picasso, according to federal authorities.
Melvin Leonard Mitchell III pleaded guilty on Aug. 5 to committing wire fraud, unlawfully using someone else’s identity and piloting a drone in flight-restricted airspace without a license, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
In plea papers, Mitchell admitted he and several co-conspirators obtained counterfeit driver’s licenses with the names, dates of birth and addresses of real people, according to the news release. He used those credit cards and stolen credit card information to buy those luxury items.
Mitchell also admitted in his plea that he piloted a drone over the Grand Prix of Arlington race in March this year, according to the Justice Department. The airspace over the race was restricted, and Mitchell was not licensed to pilot the drone anyway.
Each charge carries penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. While he could be sentenced to the maximum for each count, the judge would have the ability to order the prison terms concurrently – meaning he would spend at most 10 years in confinement.
The sentencing hearing is set for Nov. 13 before Chief U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, according to the release.
The FBI in Dallas investigated the case with assistance from the Federal Air Marshal Service, Arlington police and Coppell police.
James Hartley is the Fort Worth breaking news reporter and producer for KERA News. Got a tip? Email James Hartley at jhartley@kera.org.
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