Two Detroit men are behind bars, accused of stealing the identities of twelve people and racking up some hefty charges. Detectives say the pair falsified IDs and then used them to open credit lines, purchasing a $64,000 Dodge Challenger, a $6400 gold bracelet, and various other items from two different shopping malls.
Detectives believe the two men, ages 25 and 27-years-old, flew into Seattle from Detroit during the week of April 19th, 2021. One of the suspects attempted to purchase a $51,000 2019 Camaro from a Bellevue dealership with a counterfeit ID but failed to pick it up. The victim received a credit alert and contacted the dealership stating he did not apply for credit. The manager called Bellevue police.
Detectives quickly investigated and learned one suspect’s identity as he had used his own cellphone number. The investigation continued, and three days later, detectives watched both suspects get into a red Dodge Challenger and learned it was recently purchased. The dealership identified a photo of one of the suspects, stating he bought the Challenger using a different name with a counterfeit ID.
Detectives then watched both suspects patronize two shopping malls, purchase several high-end items, and eventually arrested both men at the Challenger following the shopping spree. Both were arrested on investigation of various charges, including Identity Theft 1st Degree and Theft of Motor Vehicle.
After obtaining a search warrant, detectives searched the Dodge Challenger and recovered eight Washington and three Oregon counterfeit driver’s licenses, 17 new Apple iPhones, four new Apple watches, and a Costco credit card with a nearly $10,000 limit. Detectives are notifying all 11 known victims and are investigating if there are others.
Case # 21-19217
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