Brian Wyer Pleads Not Guilty To Identity Theft

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Brian Wyer, 39, a native of Ohio, pleaded not guilty today in United States District Court in Burlington to charges of identity theft.  U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy ordered that Wyer be detained pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

Court records show that on June 26, 2013, a federal grand jury in Rutland returned a two-count indictment charging Wyer with identity theft.  According to the indictment, in June 2012, Wyer came to Vermont and fraudulently obtained two non-driver's identification cards in the names of real persons who actually lived in Ohio and Kansas.  Wyer allegedly then went to Massachusetts, opened bank accounts in the names of the individuals whose identities he had assumed, and defrauded a bank there of about $75,000.  Since last summer, the United States Marshal's Service had been actively hunting for Wyer throughout the United States.  Marshals eventually captured Wyer in Chicago last month. 

The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty. 

If convicted, Wyer faces up to 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.  The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.

This case was investigated by the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles.

Wyer is represented by Paul Volk.  The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.