A Russian national has pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to submit over 100 fraudulent voter registration applications as part of a broader synthetic identity fraud scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Dmitry Shushlebin, 45, who lived in Miami Beach, admitted guilt to charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, false statements, and aggravated identity theft. He faces up to 32 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
Court documents state that Shushlebin hired Sanjar Jamilov, 32, of Uzbekistan, along with others, to send more than 100 fake voter registration forms to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections during February and March 2023. The fraudulent registrations used made-up names and had identical formatting errors on return labels. Authorities noted additional signs of fraud such as repeating birth dates and addresses as well as nearly sequential Social Security numbers. The supervisor’s office identified the suspicious submissions and rejected them.
Prosecutors said one aim was to use these synthetic identities for financial crimes. Shushlebin obtained credit cards and loans using these false identities. On January 6, 2023, he applied for a loan under the name “Ariel Elston,” using a staged photo with a Russian actress posing with a fake driver’s license. This application led a bank to issue a $3,099 loan to an account controlled by Shushlebin. According to investigators, this tactic was repeated hundreds of times with various fabricated identities.
Jamilov pleaded guilty earlier on July 25, 2025, and is awaiting deportation proceedings.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Lindsey N. Schmidt are prosecuting the case alongside Leo Wise from the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section.
"Shushlebin faces a maximum penalty of 32 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set."
"This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Lindsey N. Schmidt and Trial Attorney Leo Wise from the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section."
