Two individuals from West Michigan have received federal prison sentences for their involvement in a fraudulent scheme that targeted almost 40 victims, resulting in losses of over $3 million.
Gregory Hite and Bridget Bureau, a married couple, admitted to conspiring to commit wire fraud and unlawfully using other people’s identities to fraudulently secure financing for their former businesses in west Michigan.
They had various business names, such as Hites RV, Alpine Trailer Sales, Great Lakes Recreational, Great Lakes Trailer, GLR Transport, and Great Lakes Trailer Manufacturing.
Officials have revealed that the defendants engaged in a fraudulent scheme between 2016 and 2020, where they assumed the identities of credit-worthy individuals to secure loans totaling over $5.4 million. This deceitful act was done to support their business venture.
According to officials, the defendants engaged in a range of fraudulent activities. This included making false statements on loan and equipment financing documents, as well as unlawfully using the identities of others to secure financing. Additionally, they went so far as to impersonate their victims during phone calls with other victims. To further facilitate and conceal their fraudulent actions, the defendants utilized multiple limited liability companies (LLCs).
According to officials, the defendants’ fraud scheme fell apart when they ran out of funds and lenders started demanding repayment from the victims of identity theft.
Gregory Hite received a prison sentence of 150 months, and Bridget Bureau was sentenced to 51 months in prison. Additionally, they were both instructed to provide restitution of $1,952,186 to their victims.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation into the case.