Car theft is a major issue throughout the county. It usually happens to individual owners or car dealerships, but there may be other options. Specifically, some negative actors utilize identity fraud to obtain automobiles they do not deserve. One Connecticut lady just pleaded guilty, and she now faces 14 months in prison for her role in the car theft and fraud network.
These people used identity fraud to commit car theft over several years
According to the CT Post, Stephanie Perez and her husband, Tyshon Walker, applied for auto loans using stolen identifying information from others. According to the research, this crime began in 2020 and targeted citizens of Connecticut as well as Rhode Island, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. They searched out high-performance models, luxury automobiles, boats, and motorcycles.
Apparently, the husband-and-wife crime couple included numerous persons in their identity fraud cases. Notably, they hired “runners” to retrieve the vehicles from dealerships after loan acceptance. These runners would carry false driver’s licenses bearing the name of the individual whose identity they utilized in the car theft. As is customary, they sold the autos on Facebook Marketplace. According to the report, one of Stephanie’s key tasks in the criminal operation was to assist with the selection of runners.
One of the runners happened to be Stephanie’s father. Elvis Perez, age 60, was sentenced to five years in prison in December. Finally, on April 10, 2024, authorities arrested the woman for her involvement in the identity fraud. In December of the same year, the woman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. A judge has now sentenced her to 14 months in prison after her criminal record surpassed the $1 million mark.
