United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

LOCAL MAN SENTENCED TO 63 MONTHS
IN FEDERAL PRISON, WITHOUT PAROLE, FOLLOWING
CONSPIRACY AND IDENTITY THEFT RELATED CONVICTIONS

Bryan Wayne Cason was sentenced today to 63 months imprisonment following his conviction in October 2006 on 12 counts of an indictment that charged him with numerous offenses relating to the conspiracy he ran in which he stole mail and used the information to steal others’ identities, announced United States Attorney Richard B. Roper. Cason’s sentence, imposed this morning by United States District Judge David C. Godbey, is the maximum allowable under the United States Sentencing Guidelines. Judge Godbey also ordered that Cason pay $10,887 restitution, jointly and severally with his co-defendant Sylvia Renee Hunsuckle. Hunsuckle, age 35 of Grand Prairie, Texas, pled guilty in April 2006 and testified against Cason at his trial. On October 30, 2006, co-defendant Hunsuckle was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment.

Specifically, following the three-day jury trial in October, Cason, age 37, of Grand Prairie, Texas, was convicted on 12 counts, to include: one count of conspiracy; six counts of the fraudulent production and use of counterfeit Texas driver licenses; four counts of possession of stolen mail; and one count of witness tampering.

When Cason was arrested in March 2006 on charges outlined in a federal indictment at a lake house on Cedar Creek Lake in Mabank, he had in his possession computers and equipment used to produce counterfeit documents. Cason also used monitoring cameras at the lake house to monitor and detect anyone approaching his location. The government presented evidence at trial that from May through July 2004, Cason and Hunsuckle, conspired with each other to steal hundreds of pieces of United States mail and produce, possess and use fraudulent Texas driver licenses. Cason and Hunsuckle stole large quantities of mail and then went through the stolen mail to obtain personal identifier information and personal financial information and account numbers from well over 250 different mail theft victims. Cason and Hunsuckle would then use computer equipment, scanners, a laminating machine and other equipment and supplies to produce counterfeit driver licenses and counterfeit checks, including counterfeit payroll checks. They would then use the counterfeit Texas driver licenses and counterfeit checks to fraudulently purchase a large quantity of merchandise at various locations in and around Dallas.

During the trial, several identity theft victims testified that Cason’s criminal conduct cause serious and long term damage to their individual credit histories, as well as emotional stress. Several victims testified that they received notices of possible arrest from local law enforcement agencies because Cason fraudulently used their identity when fraudulently passing stolen or counterfeit checks to local stores. Judge Godbey considered this testimony as well as evidence that showed a long pattern of Cason’s involvement in identify theft-related crimes in July of 2004, April of 2005 and March of 2006.

Regarding the tampering with a witness conviction, on June 3, 2006, Cason contacted a witness in this case and encouraged her to recant her prior written statements that she gave to law enforcement officers that provided evidence incriminating Cason. Cason also encouraged this witness to say that she was the one responsible for placing information and documents found on a computer thumb drive which was found in Cason’s possession at the time of his arrest. Cason encouraged this witness to refuse to testify, take the Fifth Amendment, avoid being served with a subpoena and to not show up at trial in the event she was subpoenaed to testify.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Grand Prairie, Texas, Police Department, and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Jarvis and Gary Tromblay.

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