Sussex man, former Forest Service employee sentenced to prison in ID theft, credit card fraud

SUSSEX -- A Sussex man was sentenced to serve four years in prison and three years supervised release for identity theft and credit card fraud, the United States Department of Justice, Eastern District of Wisconsin announced Tuesday, December 20th.

35-year-old Michael Hanan of Sussex, a former Forest Service employee, in September pleaded guilty to one count of access-device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Until earlier this year, Hanan worked as a human resources labor relations specialist for the Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In that position, he had access to current and former Forest Service employees’ personal identifying information.

Beginning in approximately February of 2016, Hanan began using the personal information of current and former Forest Service employees to open retail credit cards in the names of those employees and their family members. He also used the personal information of his own family members to do the same.

Hanan opened dozens of credit cards affiliated with Meijer and K-Mart / Sears stores, and used those cards to purchase items such as pre-paid gift cards, personal-grooming products, and food items.

Hanan did not pay those credit card balances, and caused over $90,000 in actual losses.

Hanan was initially arrested on charges of identity theft and credit-card fraud on May 5th.

While awaiting trial, he was released on conditions imposed by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Hanan continued to commit identity theft and fraud while on pre-trial release and repeatedly violated the conditions of his release.

In October, Hanan’s brother, Daniel W. Hanan, pleaded guilty to conspiring with Michael Hanan to corruptly obstruct Michael Hanan’s criminal proceedings. Daniel Hanan is currently awaiting sentencing.