Two Sentenced for Their Involvement in Producing Counterfeit Driver's Licenses

Jeffrey A. Evans and John P. Weston were both sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dan A. Polster in connection with their conviction for possessing and transferring five or more false identification documents, Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced today.

Evans, 24, of Powell, Ohio, and Weston, 24, of Rocky River, Ohio, were each sentenced to two years' probation and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.

Evans was also ordered to spend the first eight months of his probation period in home confinement, with electronic monitoring for the first 60 days.

On May 18, 2010, a federal grand jury in Cleveland, Ohio returned an indictment charging Evans and Weston with one count of possessing and transferring five or more false identification documents, and one count of producing, transferring, and possessing document-making implements and authentication features to be used in the production of false identification documents.

Weston and Evans plead guilty to possessing and transferring five or more false identification documents on July 26, 2010, and August 3, 2010, respectively. According to court records, the charges arose from the defendants’ involvement with the production and distribution of numerous counterfeit Ohio driver's licenses containing counterfeit authentication features known as “holograms,” which were primarily used by underage college students to falsely represent their age and gain admission into bars and night clubs.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Kern of the Cleveland U.S. Attorney’s Office, following an investigation by the Cleveland Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Berea Police Department, and the Ohio Department of Public Safety.