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Phoenix police: ID theft suspect with connections to Russian Mafia arrested in Phoenix

Posted at 3:10 PM, Oct 26, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-26 18:10:51-04

A man with connections to the Russian mafia was arrested in Phoenix for identification theft.

Court records show that police arrested a man who they believe was involved in a "very large fraud scheme involving numerous victims, high dollar loss, and several stolen vehicles."

Police report that on October 14, a Phoenix man conducted a credit report check and found an account opened in his name at a credit union.

Police contacted the credit union, the business informed them that a savings and credit card account were opened in September. They also noticed a car loan for a Mercedes for about $26,000, and the cashing of a $5,000 cashiers check.

The credit union provided police with still photos of the man who opened the account. Police identified him as 49-year-old Michael Deandre Wilson. Police had been looking at Wilson after they believe he was involved in a large fraud scheme involving many victims in Phoenix and Scottsdale.

Wilson managed to get the car loan and register the Mercedes using addresses in Phoenix that didn't actually exist.

Police say they contacted the auto dealership who sold Wilson the car. They reportedly told them that Wilson actually bought two vehicles, the second he would charge at a later time.

Police located and arrested Wilson on October 19 in Chandler.  

Wilson allegedly told police that he stole $85,000 from the Russian mafia and they were forcing him to commit these crimes in the Valley.

Wilson has nine felony convictions in South Carolina and Texas and was released from federal prison in May of 2015.

Wilson has ben charged with identity theft, forgery, car theft, and fraud. He continues to be investigated for other fraud cases in Phoenix and Scottsdale.