PHOTO: According to the Queens DA, a Flushing man allegedly purchased a vehicle at this Long Island City dealership by fraudulently taking out a $47,000 loan using the personal identity information of an unsuspecting New Jersey victim. Photo Courtesy of Google
By Forum Staff
A Flushing man has been charged in an identity theft scheme involving a fraudulent loan procured using the personal identity information of an unsuspecting individual and monthly vehicle and insurance payments paid by fraudulently siphoning funds from the accounts of two other ID theft victims. The car’s unlicensed driver has also been charged with possessing stolen property.
“The main defendant is accused of orchestrating several very complicated and devious plots to fraudulently acquire goods for himself by using the hard-earned money and good credit acquired by others. The victims in this case include a car dealership in Queens, a New Jersey man, a mother and daughter and a property owner in Flushing, to name a few. Each victim’s life has been thrown into credit and banking chaos due to the defendant’s alleged greed,” said District Attorney Richard Brown.
Jin Guang, 29, and Qiu Chen, 26, both of Flushing, were each charged last Thursday with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, petit larceny, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and driving by unlicensed operator. In a separate complaint, Guang was additionally charged with second-, third- and fourth-degree grand larceny, second- and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, first- and second-degree identity theft, first-degree falsifying business records and petit larceny. Bail was set at $100,000 for Guang and $5,000 for Chen; both defendants were ordered to return to court on April 12. If convicted, Jin faces up to 15 years in prison, and Chen up to 4 years.
According to the criminal charges, Guang went to a Hyundai dealership in July 2015, inquiring about buying a 2015 Hyundai Sonata, valued at $52,000. Not approved for a car loan based on his credit report, Guang returned the following day with another individual who allegedly agreed to co-sign for Guang’s loan. Based on the information provided, the dealership approved Guang for the purchase of the vehicle. In December 2015, a New Jersey man filed a report with his local police stating that a vehicle loan in the amount of $47,000 was taken out at the Hyundai dealership using his personal information and that he neither authorized the loan nor did he ever attempt to purchase a Hyundai.
It is further alleged that a mother and daughter who shared an account at Dimes Savings Bank noticed in August and September 2015 several unauthorized charges had been applied to their account, including a payment to Hyundai toward a loan on the 2015 Sonata.
A homeowner who rented a basement apartment to Guang between September 2015 and February 2016 told authorities that he received a bank statement indicating that a duplicate New York State driver’s license was paid for through his account even though he never ordered the license and an unauthorized $600 payment via a money gram to Hyundai in which Guang’s name appeared in the message portion.
Another victim alleged that someone used his American Express card to pay for a duplicate New York State driver’s license in his name, even though he never ordered the license and that someone had used his social security number to apply for a credit card.
Still another victim’s bank statement allegedly revealed that his debit card had a payment for car insurance in Guang’s name.
In late March, Chen was allegedly driving the 2015 Hyundai Sonata with Guang as a passenger when police pulled over the vehicle in Flushing. When asked for identification, Chen allegedly stated she did not have any identification, although police did recover from Chen a New York State benefits card and credit cards in a different name. According to DMV records, Chen does not have a driver’s license.
The drug Ketamine was also found inside the vehicle, Brown added.
