Prosecutions End in 14-State Identity Theft Ring

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Federal prosecutors in Minnesota are wrapping up cases against members of an identity theft ring that spanned 14 states.

Reports say the case involved more than 100 people and is one of the largest identity theft rings caught in Minnesota.

The last of six ringleaders was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison. Gordon Moore, 42, was one of 33 people convicted in federal court. About 25 others were convicted in state court. His attorney had argued the case was one of garden-variety crime and he should receive leniency. But U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson disagreed, calling it a complex, sophisticated enterprise.

The ring leaders used special equipment to print fake checks and IDs. Then recruiters enlisted more than 100 people to cash checks and buy merchandise.