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ROCHESTER, Ill. (WAND) - A Rochester man was sentenced to more than 3 years in federal prison for operating a fraud scheme. 

Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Mills sentenced Chase Brown, 21, of the 1000 block of Heathrow Lane, Rochester, Ill., to serve 37 months in federal prison for operating a sham medical equipment reseller business that defrauded businesses and individuals from various states.

A hearing has been scheduled on Jan. 19 to determine the final restitution amount. 

Brown was held accountable for an intended loss of more than $750,000; however, the parties have agreed that for determining restitution, the actual loss and restitution amount is more than $300,000 but less than $750,000. 

He pleaded guilty on July 24 to charges that he established a business known as Midwest Surgical, LLC, in May 2019, purportedly to purchase and resell medical equipment. The business did not operate legitimately and was used to carry out the scheme. 

Brown's fraud including stealing a friend’s credit card information and using credit card information from another victim to pay for a Jeep, a Springfield bar bill, payment to a Springfield car firm, and to purchase a second vehicle for a friend. He also defrauded a teenager of $14,000 he had saved from working jobs to buy his first car. 

Brown was arrested in Florida in March 2020, and has remained detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.