Four individuals have been sentenced in federal court for their involvement in an automobile dealership fraud conspiracy in the Jackson metropolitan area. The scheme involved using stolen identities to purchase expensive vehicles.
Court documents reveal that Paul Anthony Robinson, Sarah Elizabeth Calderon, Joshanique Elouise Bailey, David L. Jones, Jr., and Anna Waldei conspired to obtain identity information of credit-worthy individuals. They created false identity documents and posed as these individuals at automotive dealerships to apply for vehicle financing. The defendants traveled from Louisiana to Mississippi in a vehicle rented by Waldei.
Robinson pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on October 18, 2024, and was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison. Calderon pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft on November 26, 2024, receiving a sentence of 39 months. Bailey pleaded guilty on April 9, 2025, and received two years’ probation. Jones pleaded guilty on February 13, 2025, and was sentenced to 32 months. Anna Waldei is scheduled for sentencing on August 21, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick Lemon stated: “Cases involving identity theft have long lasting implications for victims including difficulties reestablishing their identity and credit.”
Attorney General Lynn Fitch commented: “More than vehicles were stolen here. A person’s identity is their most valuable possession and identity theft is a serious crime.”
U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis emphasized the severity of these crimes: “The use of stolen identities by suspects represents a serious and evolving threat.”
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi along with other officials.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office through their Cyber Fraud Task Force partnership.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie prosecuted the case.
