EATON COUNTY, Mich. — Three Michigan men have been sentenced for their roles in an identity theft and unclaimed property fraud scheme totaling more than half a million dollars.
Judge Janice Cunningham of the 56th Circuit Court in Eaton County sentenced Averill Dintaman, 47, and Daniel Nolan, 51, both of Mount Pleasant, to 3 to 20 years of incarceration. Dwayne Johnson, 60, of Saint Louis, was sentenced yesterday to 12 months of probation.
Dintaman was sentenced on Dec. 11, 2025, and Nolan was sentenced on Jan. 29, 2026.
In 2022, Dintaman and Nolan conspired to steal the identity of a Michigan man. They forged a fraudulent durable power of attorney to obtain an unclaimed property check in the victim’s name for $579,551.99.
Dintaman and Nolan then recruited Johnson to pose as the victim in person at the Department of Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Office to obtain a second copy of the check.
The Department of Attorney General initially charged the defendants in May 2025 after the matter was referred by the Department of Treasury.
"This was a deliberate attempt to steal more than half a million dollars from the State of Michigan and from the rightful owner of these funds, and I am thankful for the diligent work of the Department of Treasury and the prosecutors in my office who worked tirelessly to secure these convictions," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said.
"We remain committed to ensuring that those who commit identity theft, fraud or forgery are held accountable," Nessel said.
Dintaman pleaded guilty on Oct. 30 to one count of conspiracy to commit false pretenses over $100,000, one count of uttering and publishing, one count of forgery, and one count of using a computer to commit a crime.
Nolan pleaded guilty on Nov. 14 to one count of conspiracy to commit false pretenses over $100,000, one count of forgery, and one count of using a computer to commit a crime.
Johnson pleaded guilty on Nov. 14 to one count of attempted false pretenses over $100,000, one count of counterfeiting, forging, or using a state identification card to commit a felony, and one count of identity theft.
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