Vernon Hills man sentenced to prison for ID theft, conspiracy

A Vernon Hills man has been sentenced to four years in prison for his conviction on a federal aggravated identity theft and conspiracy charges in Western Pennsylvania, authorities said.

Michael W. Decker, 33, pleaded guilty to the charges in March 2020, but sentencing was postponed to last week as a result of COVID-19 protocols and other delays, court records show.

According to information presented to the court, Decker submitted fraudulent applications for loans to purchase several expensive vehicles, including two Jeep Cherokee Trackhawks, from dealerships in Western Pennsylvania.

Federal authorities say Decker was part of a conspiracy based in Chicago. Members of the conspiracy traveled to dealerships in several states and used stolen identity information to obtain loans for high-end vehicles, prosecutors said.

After obtaining the vehicles, members of the conspiracy would alter the Vehicles Identification Numbers and sell the vehicles, according to the federal government.

The FBI and Pennsylvania State Police Western Regional Auto Theft Task Force conducted the investigation that led to charges against Decker.