A Bronx man admitted in court on Tuesday to using a stolen identity to get a loan to buy a luxury car from a Long Island City dealership nearly three years ago.
Josue Aguilar, 28, pleaded guilty on March 12 to second-degree larceny before Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Barry Kron. He is due to return to court on April 26, where Judge Kron indicated he would sentence him to three to six years in prison.
“The defendant in this case has now pleaded guilty — admitting that he stole the identity of the victim and used that person’s information to purchase an expensive vehicle,” said Chief Assistant District Attorney John M. Ryan. “As a result, the victim’s credit score plunged. He was unable to acquire a college loan for his son, refinance his home, and experienced a great deal of financial hardship. This case is a reminder that one should always be vigilant about protecting their personal information. The defendant now faces prison time for his actions.”
According to charges, at noon on April 9, 2016, Aguilar entered a Lexus dealership, located at 40-40 Northern Blvd. While posing as a South Carolina man, the victim in the crime, Aguilar asked about purchasing a 2016 Lexus RC with packages boosting the price to over $70,000.
Aguilar then used the victim’s social security number, a driver’s license bearing the victim’s name, and other forms of personal identification to complete the purchase.
Two days later, the transaction was approved by the victim’s bank, JP Morgan Chase. Aguilar then signed the victim’s name on the credit applications and on a contract committing the victim to make monthly payments.
Court records indicated that in the months following the sale, Aguilar didn’t make monthly payments on the car. The victim later found a fraudulent transaction during a routine check of his credit history and contacted his bank.
