Fort Myers man accused in fraud scheme that included using fake identity to buy generators

Adam Regan
Naples Daily News

A Fort Myers man was arrested Monday, accused of stealing another man's identity and using it to buy nearly $8,000 in generators in what the Collier County Sheriff's Office is calling a complex fraud scheme.

Brent Michael Acord, 38, was booked into Naples Jail Center charged with grand theft over $750 and criminal use of personal identification in a series of incidents that stretched from Sarasota to Naples.

Acord opened a credit account online using a stolen identity, according to deputies. In August 2020, he used a fake driver's license, false credit cards and documents showing John Deere credit approvals to buy two generators from a Naples area John Deere dealer. 

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Brent Michael Acord

Acord returned the next day to buy a third generator, deputies said.

They claimed it wasn't the first time Acord stole another's identity to purchase expensive equipment.

In a case that spans multiple jurisdictions and multiple compromised identities, Acord was arrested on similar charges in September in the City of Sarasota. He's alleged to have used a different victim's identity to purchase a vehicle for more than $20,000.

In December, investigators said he used the same victim's ID to buy a $30,000 power sports vehicle in Punta Gorda.

Bond information for Acord wasn't available.