Toledo man charged with producing and selling false identification documents

A Toledo man was charged in federal court in relation to the production of false identification documents, law enforcement officials said.

Mark A. Simon, 34, was charged with production of false identification documents, transfer of false identification documents and possession of equipment used to produced false identification documents.

Investigators seized 18 gold coins, 215 silver coins, 21 gold and silver bars, $7,000 in cash, numerous computers, hard drives and USB storage devices, latex gloves, photo paper, six modems, a photo printer and approximately $4.7 million in bitcoin taken from approximately 30 wallets stored on a USB thumb drive, and other items.

According to a 31-page affidavit filed in U.S. District Court, investigators were originally contacted by an employee of a pub in Springfield, Ohio, about fake IDs collected at the bar. A Wittenburg University student said he and a friend obtained the fake ID off reddit.com.

Agents identified the purported seller by the reddit username of TedDanzigSr, who posted on a daily basis on subjects related to fake IDs. Agents eventually ordered fake IDs from TedDanzigSr and were asked to pay in bitcoin.

Further investigation revealed prior to posting and advertising his manufacture and sale of false identifications on reddit, username TedDanzigSr sold fake IDs on the dark web marketplace Silk Road. Investigators determined that TedDanzigSr’s true identity was Mark Simon, who lives on Stengel Road in Toledo, according to the affidavit.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

This case was investigated by the Ohio Department of Public Safety and United States Secret Service, Toledo Resident Agency, with assistance from the FBI, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Toledo Police Department and the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office. It is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah P. Hood and Robert Kern.

An charge is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.