A Toledo man who produced fake identification cards distributed in a major national counterfeiting ring will serve time in federal prison.
Aaron Kuns, 35, of the 3700 block of Dewlawn Drive in South Toledo, was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court to one year and one day in prison, followed by three years on supervised release. He pleaded guilty June 5 to manufacturing fake IDs in a large-scale scheme funded in part with Bitcoin cryptocurrency.
In a short statement to the court, Kuns told Judge Jeffrey Helmick that he accepts responsibility and is sorry for his actions. He said he “wasn’t happy with who I became” after using marijuana and making poor decisions, but has been in counseling since he was charged and has “learned a lot about myself.”
“I know I will do the right thing from now on,” Kuns said.
Kuns, one of four local residents charged in the case, has no prior criminal history. Federal prosecutors recommended a sentence between 24 and 30 months in prison.
Public defender Donna Grill declined to comment after the sentencing hearing, other than to say the case prompted Kuns to seek the help he needed to address several personal issues.
“I don’t think he understood how much he needed it,” she said, later adding, “this case has really helped to get him on a path to a better life, a more enjoyable life.”
Robert Kern, assistant U.S. attorney, said Kuns “jumped in with both feet” when recruited into the operation and reminded the court of the seriousness of the potential ripple effects of the criminal enterprise. The IDs Kuns produced were of such high quality, complete with coded magnetic strips that would scan properly, that “someone could have actually gotten on an airplane,” he said.
Mr. Kern also noted that many of the group’s clients were adults older than 21 and purchased multiple IDs with different names. Those IDs were presumably used for criminal activity — such as identity theft — as opposed to fakes bought by clients younger than 21 seeking only to buy alcohol.
In his sentencing, Judge Helmick noted Kuns’ lack of criminal history, his show of remorse, mitigating factors from difficult childhood experiences, and his supportive family. The judge said he does not believe Kuns will be a repeat offender.
“I think I have your attention,” the judge told Kuns.
The judge dismissed three additional counts against Kuns and ordered forfeit his portion of Bitcoin — which had a value of about $9,675 in April, according to court records — plus any physical evidence seized the defendant had claim to.
Authorities in early 2018 said the arrest of Kuns and three other co-defendants amounted to the destruction of a major national fake ID ring based out of Toledo, ran through the popular internet forum Reddit, and financed at least in part by online Bitcoin currency.
According to court documents, Kuns said co-defendant Mark Alex Simon received the orders and sent photos, personal information, and mailing labels to Kuns for processing. Kuns would make the IDs and package them for delivery. Alberts would pick them up from his garage and mail them, court documents show.
Simon, 35, of the 4700 block of Stengel Avenue; Sarah Alberts, 35, of Perrysburg; and Benjamin Stalets, 29, of the 2200 block of Parkwood Avenue also pleaded guilty to charges in the case. Simon and Alberts are to be sentenced in October, while Stalets is to be sentenced in December.
All defendants were previously released from jail.
First Published September 18, 2019, 4:15 p.m.
