The man is now facing a long list of charges including fraud and identity theft
September 5, 2024 at 19:50
- A dealership employee in Canada reportedly used stolen identities to purchase 14 high-end vehicles.
- The scam reportedly cost victims more than $1.1 million USD and only one vehicle has been recovered so far.
- The former sales rep is now facing nearly 100 charges including fraud and identity theft.
Police in Hamilton, Ontario have arrested a 44-year-old man in connection to a “multi-million dollar auto fraud and identity theft case.” Canadian authorities aren’t releasing many details at this point, but said Shelton Mark Gregouire worked as a sales representative at a local dealership and used his position to fraudulently acquire 14 high-end vehicles.
Police didn’t exactly spell things out, but it sounds like Gregouire would use stolen identities to take out loans in other people’s names and then ‘buy’ vehicles from the dealership. These would then be “exported out of the country or re-registered with new Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs).”
More: Whistleblower Claims Chicago Dealership Employees Engaged In Fraud, Forgery, And More
While specifics are hazy, police said the victims of identity theft were unaware that loans were taken out in their names. They added the vehicles were purchased between November 2023 and March 2024, resulting in over $1.5 million ($1.1 million USD) of losses for the dealership as well as financial institutions.
An investigation was launched in March of this year and it ultimately lead to Gregouire’s arrest in August. He’s now facing a long list of charges including 23 counts of Identity Theft, 23 counts of Uttering Forged Documents, and 14 counts of Obtaining Credit by Fraud. On top of that, he has been charged with 14 counts of Fraud Over $5,000 ($3,702 USD), 4 counts of Fraud Under $5,000 ($3,702 USD), and 9 counts of Attempted Credit by Fraud.
It appears Gregouire may not have been acting alone as Hamilton Police said the investigation remains active and “further arrests are expected.” We’ll likely learn more as the case plays out, but authorities used the incident to remind people to regularly monitor their credit reports and notify authorities about any suspicious activity.