A Pontiac man has been arrested by the ATF for renting out guns to criminals that he had purchased using a stolen ID.
Pontiac, Michigan was recently paid a visit by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives(ATF) because one man, Bryce Cato, was renting out guns that he had illegitimately purchased. The man had purchased a variety of firearms from gun stores using a stolen identity, all of the paperwork including the background check is believed to have been done with the stolen identity he had. Cato was only caught as a result of his also using a stolen credit card.
As for how his criminal enterprise was managed. Bryce Cato bought a series of firearms under a stolen identity and then would rent these firearms to criminals and thugs alike for a fee. If these firearms were not returned then the price of his other wears would go up. Sometimes Cato would not buy these firearms himself, he would enlist the help of his girlfriend, who lived with him, in buying these firearms.
This entire operation hinged on two separate pins, the stolen identities and the money to initially buy these firearms. Both of these acceptances of Cato’s scheme came from the same place, cyber crime. Cato was someone who is technically gifted and he managed to hack into several internet websites and steal social security information from said sites, or buy it from another cyber thief. With these stolen identities he would steal unemployment checks from people in California by claiming the funds using their own information.
Like all criminals Cato probably thought he was invincible at this point and branched out into real world crime, this is where he got caught and implicated himself in some very serious crimes. Several of the guns he had illegally purchased were used in shootings and he may now be the one on the hook for all of those crimes.
If you want to avoid ending up like one of Bryce Cato’s victims you can focus on how to protect yourself in cyberspace. The M1911 or Glock 17 is likely to keep you safe from real world threats but they are not able to do much when it comes to cyber crime. Cato’s scam was simple: he would access websites and databases where people had put their important personal information and then steal that information for his own gain. You can avoid becoming a victim by making sure the websites you are going to and entering any personal information into is the right place. If Amazon, Microsoft, or Apple gets hit with a major hack then you should look over your accounts to make sure every purchase is a legitimate one. Being careful online is really the only way to protect yourself from criminals like Cato.
