‘Hey Siri’: Troy police say man used iPhone voice feature from back of patrol car to set his alibi

TROY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Troy Police said a man who was arrested for identity theft was able to make phone calls from his iPhone using the ‘Hey Siri’ voice function while sitting in the back of a patrol car.

According to a federal complaint, authorities arrested Wayne Wallace on Dec. 14 at Martell Elementary School on Livernois in Troy as they were investigating a call of a suspicious car.

The complaint says police were called to the parking lot of the school on a report of a suspicious vehicle. Wallace told officer he was in the parking lot and waiting for a UPS package to be delivered at a home nearby, which Wallace pointed out to officers. He then told police that the package was delivered to the wrong address and he had to pick up when it was delivered. 

Troy Police asked about searching the car, which he said was his brother's primary car. Then police said they learned his driver's license was suspended and he had two outstanding traffic arrest warrants. Wallace was put in the back of the patrol car, unrestrained, as officers searched the vehicle.

During the search, police found his ID, two iPhones, and two AT&T invoices with two different names on them - neither of which were Wallace's. One of the addresses was the house that Wallace had pointed out and reflected an iPhone 13 had been purchased just five days earlier. 

As police were searching, UPS delivered a package to the home - which police then took possession of and found an iPad inside. The invoice for the package shows that it was bought the day before, on Dec. 13.

Using the phone number listed on the invoice, police called the rightful owner, who said that he was unaware of the purchases and that he was a victim of identity theft. The victim then contacted AT&T and learned that an iPhone 13 and iPad - neither of which had he ordered - were delivered to his home.

The iPhone that was delivered earlier that month was found in Wallace's backpack, police say.

As the investigation continued, police reviewed video camera footage from the inside of the car, that's where they said they discovered Wallace had placed multiple phone calls from the backseat of the car. Realizing his phone was out of reach, police said he used the iPhone "Hey Siri" feature to make multiple calls on speakerphone.  

Those calls were all recorded on the car's camera system. Wallace called multiple people, telling them he was being arrested. During one fo those calls, he gave the location and address that he had been watching where the package was delivered.

He also appeared to instruct others on an explanation about how he was tied to the victim. Police said Wallace called another person and told them to call Wallace's mother and deliver this message: Tell her police got the package, give her the information that Wallace sent them, and tell her that Wallace told the police that his aunt sent the package and he was coming to get it. 

He then called another person to give a similar message to his mom: Tell her that his aunt sent a package and asked him to pick it up, tell her that the first person contacted has the information, and that it is the address that his mother has.

He made a third call to tell that person that police have the package.

During this time, police were outside of the patrol car and were unaware of him making the calls.

Wallace is facing charges of mail fraud, aiding and abetting, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and identitity theft.