Local Maker of False Identifications Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison
Man Created False Social Security Cards, Drivers’ Licenses, and Military Identifications

WASHINGTON—United States District Court Chief Judge Royce C. Lamberth sentenced Calvin C. McCants, 59, most recently of the 4400 block of 15th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., to 51 months of incarceration and three years of supervised release for possession of false document-making implements, Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Jeffrey Irvine, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service, and Joseph Persichini, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation announced today. McCants pleaded guilty in August 2003.

According to the government’s evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, McCants’ offices, storage bins, home, and car had been the subject of numerous court-authorized searches by law enforcement dating back to 2000. In each location, agents found evidence that McCants operated a factory which produced false identifications, unauthorized credit cards, and counterfeit checks. McCants possessed the raw materials, that is: credit histories of real people who had excellent credit ratings, blank credit cards, check paper stock, templates for drivers' licenses, military identifications, and Social Security cards, and credit card numbers. McCants had very sophisticated tools, such as: scanners, specialized color printers, laminators, card readers, corner rounders, embossing machines, ID makers, computers and software, birth certificates and official seals, and books on creating “fool-proof” identities and drivers’ licenses. His productivity spawned over 300 drivers’ licenses, credit cards and other access devices, and an array of work identification cards, Social Security numbers cards, counterfeit checks, and military identification badges.

After several days of hearing evidence and argument, the original sentencing judge, the Honorable John Garrett Penn, agreed with the government as to the amount of loss and the upward adjustment for sophisticated means. Judge Penn also followed the government’s request to give McCants an upward departure from the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The defendant appealed his sentence and the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit remanded the case. In 2006, Judge Penn imposed the same sentence as given earlier. The defendant again appealed the sentence and the Court of Appeals again remanded. Today, in sentencing the defendant to 51 months, Chief Judge Lamberth took into consideration the decision by the Court of Appeals and the factors which called for a sentence above the Sentencing Guidelines.

In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips, Special Agent in Charge Irvine, and Assistant Director in Charge Persichini commended the group effort of law enforcement agents who worked tirelessly on this case from the United States Secret Service Metro Area Fraud Task Force. In addition, they commended Paralegal Specialist Maggie McCabe and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Ambrosino, Judith Kidwell, Timothy Lucas, Steven E. Swaney, and Virginia Cheatham.