United States v. Christopher Spears

EASTERBROOK, Chief Judge.

Christopher Spears made a counterfeit handgun permit for Tirsah Payne, who was awaiting trial on a drug charge and could not obtain a legitimate permit. Payne used the fake credential—which contained her own name and birthdate—when trying to buy a gun. The dealer was not deceived and did not sell Payne the weapon she wanted. An investigation led to Spears’s arrest and the discovery that he had sold other fake credentials, such as drivers’ licenses. He was convicted of five felonies, including aggravated identity theft, 18 U.S.C. § 1028A, and sentenced to 34 months in…