TROY, Mich. – A man who was arrested in Troy and used the “Hey Siri” feature from the back of a cop car to make calls on his cellphone up front and get his story straight with others is expected to plead guilty to charges.
An information was unsealed Friday, April 7, that outlines the charges of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft against Wayne Wallace. That means Wallace is currently expected to plead guilty to those charges.
Arrest outside Troy school
Troy police officers were called around 1:45 p.m. Dec. 14 to Martell Elementary School on Livernois Road to investigate a suspicious car in the parking lot.
When officers arrived, they spoke to Wallace, who was the only person inside the car, according to a criminal complaint that was unsealed Feb. 1.
Wallace told police that he was in the school parking lot waiting for a UPS package to be delivered to a home within sight of where he had parked. He pointed out the house where he expected to the package to be delivered, officers said.
Police asked Wallace about the package, and he told them that it had been delivered to the wrong address, so he needed to pick it up when it arrived.
Wallace gave officers permission to search the car. He told them that his brother was the primary driver, but identified a backpack in the front seat as his own, court records show.
A check of the Secretary of State and Michigan Law Enforcement Information Network systems showed that Wallace’s license had been suspended, according to authorities. He also had two outstanding traffic arrest warrants.
Officers put Wallace in the back of their patrol vehicle while they searched the car, they said.
Search reveals invoices, mail
During the search of Wallace’s backpack, police said they found his identification card, two Apple iPhones, and an AT&T invoice. There was a second AT&T invoice in the back seat of the car, authorities said.
In the trunk of the car, police found several pieces of mail, some of which were addressed to Wallace.
The AT&T invoices were addressed to two people whose identities were not revealed in the criminal complaint.
The invoice from Wallace’s backpack was for the Dec. 9 purchase of an Apple iPhone 13 and had been addressed to a resident in the 5000 block of Livernois Road.
Package delivery uncovers fraud scheme
While officers were searching the car, a package was delivered to the home that Wallace had been watching, they said. Officers went to the home and realized it was the same address as the one listed on the invoice from Wallace’s backpack.
The package was addressed to the person listed on the invoice, but an officer noticed the home appeared to be vacant.
Officers seized the box, which contained an iPad and an invoice showing the device had been purchased Dec. 13. When police called the man listed as the recipient, he told them that he was not aware of the purchases.
The man told police he did not live at that address on Livernois Road, nor did he order any items to be delivered there, court records show.
“(The man) later confirmed that he contacted AT&T and that two devices were delivered to (the address) in his name that he did not order,” the criminal complaint reads.
Police believe those two devices were the iPhone listed on the invoice from Wallace’s backpack and the iPad that had just been delivered.
‘Siri’ used inside police car
A special agent reviewed video footage from inside the patrol car and realized that Wallace had managed to make calls using the “Hey Siri” feature.
Wallace was in the back of the car and couldn’t reach his cellphone, which was in the front seat, according to authorities. He used the “Hey Siri” feature to activate the phone and place several calls using speaker phone.
“Wallace placed several calls while alone in the vehicle, informing others that he was likely being placed under arrest,” the criminal complaint says.
During one of the calls, Wallace mentioned the package that was being delivered, as well as the name of the person it had been addressed to, the special agent said. Wallace also talked about his location and the Livernois Road address.
“Wallace also appeared to instruct others, to include possible co-conspirators, on an explanation for his tie to the package in (the other man’s) name,” the complaint reads. “For example, Wallace called one individual and instructed him to call Wallace’s mother.”
Wallace told the person he called to let his mom know that police had taken the package, according to authorities. Wallace also told the man to inform his mom that he had claimed to police that this aunt had sent the package and he had come to retrieve it, officials said.
He called another man and told him to tell his mother that his aunt had sent a package and asked Wallace to pick it up, according to police. Wallace told the second person to inform his mom that the first person he had called had information for her.
During a call to a third person, Wallace said “police have the package.”
Officers eventually returned to the police car and placed Wallace under arrest. They didn’t appear to realize that he had been making phone calls, the special agent said.
Information
The criminal complaint concluded there was probable cause that Wallace had committed mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. It also accused him of aiding and abetting, as well as conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
The information suggests Wallace is expected to plead guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, with a deal in place.
“Wallace, with the intent to defraud, knowingly devised and participated in a scheme to defraud and obtain property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses and representations,” the information says.
The purpose of the scheme was for Wallace to steal electronic devices from AT&T, according to authorities.
If convicted, Wallace will have to forfeit any property he received through the scheme.
