A Texas man has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for his role in the fraudulent purchase of a high-value vehicle from a Jackson, Mississippi dealership.
Court records show that Mario Martinez Smiley, 57, of Fort Worth, Texas, obtained a 2023 Ford Shelby F-150 worth $130,850 by pretending to be another person and using someone else’s credit card number to pay a $5,000 down payment. According to statements made in court, Smiley was recruited by an individual in Texas who offered him $1,000 for each vehicle he picked up. Smiley convinced a salesperson from the dealership to meet him in Ruston, Louisiana, where he took possession of the truck after posing for a photograph with it.
Smiley was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 4, 2025. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud on May 21, 2025.
“Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch made the announcement.”
The investigation is being conducted by the United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office through their work with the Cyber Fraud Task Force.
“Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.”
