PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A man and woman who tried to buy an American sports car ended up in jail. Investigators say its because the suspects provided fake identities when moving to seal the deal.
The Kent County Sheriff's Office announced the arrests on Monday.
Investigators say the pair filed out paperwork to finance the purchase of a 2024 Chevrolet Corvette on Friday, August 30. The new vehicle carries a price of $87,972.54.
However, when the dealership researched potential finance partners, they were informed by multiple banks the identity the pair used was likely stolen.
When the two suspects returned on Saturday to pick up the 'Vette, they were instead picked up by Kent County Deputies.
47-year-old Ingre Valerino from Florida and 46-year-old Brian Dykema from Grand Rapids admitted the scheme was organized by a person named Peter who lives in Miami. That man paid for Valerino to fly to Michigan, while Dykema bought the fake identity from the dark web, according to court documents.
The victim of identity theft, who lives in New York, was contacted by investigators. They confirmed their identity had been stolen.
Both Valerino and Dykema face charges of making false pretenses during a transaction between $50,000 and $100,000, using forged state identification cards to commit a felony, and identity theft.
The suspects are scheduled to appear in court next week.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
