The City of Hilliard Division of Police is investigating a widespread fraud and identity theft case that stems from a former employee of a Hilliard treatment center selling patients’ private information.
Police have identified 240 victims nationwide, many of whom are from central Ohio, and believe there are more.
Alexander Perry, of Hilliard, was employed by Evoke Wellness, an addiction treatment center in Hilliard, from November 2021 to July 2024. While working as an employee at Evoke, Perry inappropriately used the company’s databases to access patients’ personal information, including their names, addresses, dates of birth and social security numbers.
That information was then sold on the “dark web” to criminals who used the stolen identities to make purchases for items such as vehicles and rack up credit card charges for hotel stays, restaurants, and cryptocurrency.
Perry was in possession of examples of different fraudulent state IDs, military IDs, blank checks, and passports. Police believe Perry used the IDs himself to locally purchase electronics such as iPhones and tablets and then sell them to others at mark-up.
The investigation began last fall. During the early morning hours Oct. 10, 2024, Hilliard police officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Perry.
Officers discovered he was in possession of four fraudulent Ohio driver’s licenses, 25 prepaid cards, a loaded handgun, and multiple cell phones later found to include criminal evidence. At the time, he was charged with identity fraud, forgery, and improper handling of a firearm.
As detectives continued to investigate the case, they learned the criminal operation was much more widespread. On May 9, 2025, police executed a search warrant at Perry’s home on Drayton Road.
“This is a disturbing situation of someone taking advantage of individuals while they were seeking rehabilitation during a vulnerable time in their lives,” said Chief of Police Michael Woods. “We believe there are many more victims in this case and are dedicated to identifying as many as possible before we present this case to prosecutors.”
The case remains under active investigation with charges pending.
Anyone who believes they may be a victim of this crime is encouraged to contact Detective Crabtree at ccrabtree@hilliardohio.gov or 614-334-2430.
