Flint man charged with stealing social security number for $200,000 spending spree | criminality

FLINT, Mich. (WJRT) — A Flint man is accused of taking out $200,000 in fraudulent vehicle and off-road vehicle loans using a stolen Social Security number.

The US Attorney’s Office in Detroit has filed information in federal court accusing Eddie Earl Hendrickson of conspiring with another man to obtain the Social Security number of a man with a similar name in December 2019.

He allegedly took out fraudulent loans to buy three vehicles and 12 off-road vehicles from December 2019 to February 2020. The purchases included:

• A 2019 Honda CRF off-road motorcycle and a 2019 Honda TRX four-wheeler from Bay Cycle Sales on December 23, 2019.
• Two 2020 Polaris Sportsman 570 four-wheelers from the Shiawassee Sports Center on December 28, 2020.
• A 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV from Brighton Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep on December 30, 2019.
• Two 2020 Polaris Outlaw four-wheelers from the Shiawassee Sports Center on January 8, 2020.
• A 2015 Ram 1500 Rebel pickup truck from Brighton Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep on January 9, 2020.
• A 2018 Dodge Charger sports car from Brighton Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep on January 9, 2020.
• A 2019 Honda CRF off-road motorcycle from Extreme Dodge/Truck on January 13, 2020.
• Two 2019 Honda TRX 90X four-wheelers and a 2019 Honda CRF 450R off-road motorcycle from Genthe Power Sport on January 14, 2020.
• A 2019 Honda CRF 450 RX off-road bike from Bay Cycle Sales on January 31, 2020.
• A Norde Ride Motor Sports 2019 Honda CRF 125 FBL off-road motorcycle on February 18, 2020.

Investigators say Hendrickson never made payments on any of the loans he obtained to purchase the 15 vehicles he purchased in three months. He and an unnamed co-conspirator sold a few and pocketed the money.

Federal prosecutors asked a United States District Court judge for an order requiring Hendrickson to confiscate all of the vehicles or an amount of money equal to the purchase price.