Most people who decide it’s time to purchase a new vehicle do so by either saving up or applying for financing. Sadly, a growing number of people resort to various forms of identity fraud to obtain a new or used car. Recently, a man in Rhode Island entered a guilty plea after attempting to finance a vehicle by using fake identifying information.

Using identity fraud to finance a vehicle carries significant punishment

According to WPRI, Adalberto Mauricio Romero, 28, pleaded guilty to a form of identity fraud on April 24th. Specifically, he admitted to participating in a scheme involving conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He did this to finance vehicles in Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Naturally, he will be sentenced later, but this is a significant crime. 

So, what are the specifics of this case? In a nutshell, he and a few others attempted to defraud a dealership in New Hampshire in May 2022. In this situation, they were trying to finance a Land Rover SUV valued at $95,000. However, instead of using his information, Adalberto committed identity fraud using a fake ID when filling out the online application.  

As mentioned, Adalberto wasn’t the only person involved in the identity fraud scheme. So far, there are two others. Roy Sweets, 27, pleaded guilty in March to the same crime and has his sentencing in June. Additionally, Dennis Odoom, 27, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison. Adalberto’s sentencing is scheduled for July 24th. This is a developing story.