Averill Dintaman, Daniel Nolan, and Dwayne Johnson have been sentenced in Eaton County after pleading guilty to an identity theft and unclaimed property fraud scheme involving more than $500,000, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced on Apr. 3.
The case concerns the theft of a Michigan man’s identity and the forging of documents to obtain an unclaimed property check worth $579,551.99. The sentences follow a referral from the Department of Treasury to the Department of Attorney General after authorities discovered that Dintaman and Nolan conspired to create fraudulent documents and recruited Johnson to impersonate the victim at a state office.
Dintaman received a sentence of three to twenty years’ incarceration in December 2025. Nolan was also sentenced to three to twenty years’ incarceration in January 2026. Johnson was given twelve months’ probation on Apr. 2. The defendants had pleaded guilty last fall to various charges including conspiracy, forgery, attempted false pretenses over $100,000, counterfeiting or forging identification cards for felonious use, uttering and publishing, using a computer to commit a crime, and identity theft.
“This was a deliberate attempt to steal more than half a million dollars from the State of Michigan and from the rightful owner of these funds, and I am thankful for the diligent work of the Department of Treasury and the prosecutors in my office who worked tirelessly to secure these convictions,” said Attorney General Nessel at the time the defendants pled. “We remain committed to ensuring that those who commit identity theft, fraud or forgery are held accountable.”
According to the official website, Dana Nessel is Michigan’s 54th attorney general with statewide authority through her department aimed at protecting residents across Michigan. The department advances social efforts by acting against human trafficking as well as supporting vulnerable populations according to its official website. It also focuses on serving residents through public service initiatives as reported by its website.
The Department has influenced policy statewide by drafting legislation such as the Clean Slate law in 2019 which created new expungement opportunities according to its official site.
Broader implications from this case reflect ongoing efforts by state officials like Nessel’s office not only in prosecuting financial crimes but also shaping policy that protects vulnerable groups throughout Michigan.