Northwest Arkansas Man Sentenced to 15 years for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identify Theft

FAYETTEVILLE – An Arkansas man was sentenced yesterday to 180 months in prison for attempting to sell real estate he did not own and unlawfully trying to use another person’s identify in the attempt. The Honorable Chief Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville. Smith was sentenced to 156 months for Wire Fraud and 24 months for Aggravated Identity Theft, these sentences will run consecutively. Smith was also sentenced to three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. According to court documents, Steven James Smith , age 41, engaged in a scheme to defraud in which he identified real property in the Northwest Arkansas area and attempted to sell the property, despite having no legal claim or authority to sell the property. Smith entered into purchase agreements with buyers to sell the property, which he transmitted to various title companies through email and electronic communication, under the appearance that he had legal authority to sell the property. As part of his scheme, Smith used a fraudulent driver’s license bearing another individual’s name and information. U.S. Attorney Kevin R. Holmes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall prosecuted the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov .