A Bronx man was sentenced for using a stolen identity to get a car loan for a luxury car from a Long Island City dealership in 2016, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Josue Aguilar, 28, pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny on March 12. He was sentenced three and a half to seven years in prison, plus an additional six months incarceration as a result of his failure to show in court on May 1.
“The defendant wanted to drive in style – without paying the price tag. In pleading guilty, the defendant admitted to stealing a South Carolina man’s identity and posing as this individual when he signed for a hefty car loan,” said acting District Attorney John M. Ryan. “Thanks to the defendant’s greed, the victim’s credit score dropped and affected his life in devastating ways. As a result of the low credit rating, the victim 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 warning to everyone to always protect their personal information. The defendant – who failed to return to court for his sentencing – was apprehended and is now going to prison as punishment for his crimes.”
According to charges, Aguilar entered a Lexus dealership, located at 40-40 Northern Blvd., at noon on April 9, 2016. He posed as a South Carolina man, the victim in the crime, and asked about purchasing a 2016 Lexus RC with packages raising the price to over $70,000. Aguilar then used the victim’s personal information, including his social security number, a driver’s license bearing his name and other personal identification to make the purchase.
The transaction was approved by the victim’s bank two days later. Aguilar then signed the victim’s name on the credit applications and on a contract committing the victim to make monthly payments.
Charges say 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.
