Springfield man pleads guilty to ID theft, counterfeiting

A Springfield man pleaded guilty in federal court to identity theft, check counterfeiting and passing counterfeit bills, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Bryan Thomas Ray, 32, pleaded guilty Jan. 7 to the charges in two federal indictments. Ray admitted participating in a conspiracy to steal checking account and personal identity information to produce counterfeit IDs and checks worth more than $100,000. The scheme lasted from April through November 2008.

Ray was caught when he attempted to use a counterfeit driver's license to cash a fraudulent check at a Springfield Staples store, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. The check was from a checkbook stolen during a home burglary in Ozark, but the clerk at the store knew the ID theft victim and called police.

Police officers obtained multiple items from Ray's vehicles, including items used to make counterfeit IDs and 25 counterfeit driver's licenses and ID cards with Ray's picture.

In a separate indictment, Ray pleaded guilty to passing $13,300 in counterfeit currency.

Under federal statute, Ray is subject to up to 50 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine of up to $750,000 and an order of restitution. Sentencing will be scheduled after a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

The cases were investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Greene County Sheriff's Department and the police departments of Springfield, Joplin, Rogersville and Branson.

Springfield Police Lt. David Millsap said there are some tips businesses can follow to help prevent counterfeit check passing, and most are centered on being vigilant.

"The main thing is to always ask for identification, and make sure that the ID that is presented has a photograph that matches the person you're looking at," Millsap said. "You'd be surprised the number of times that just doesn't occur."

Millsap said businesses should also train employees on what security measures are included in genuine IDs. Another tip: Avoid cashing payroll checks.

"Those tend to be high-dollar checks, and we see more and more people going into businesses and trying to cash them," Millsap said. "If I was a business owner, I'd almost always tell people to take those to a bank, where they have more time and ability to check those."