Connecticut Federal Prosecutor announced recently that 43-year-old Chinese man Lei Zhou from Flushing, New York, has been sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for his involvement with a criminal gang that used stolen identities to purchase luxury vehicles. Zhou pleaded guilty in May this year to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, as well as one count of aggravated identity theft.
Court documents reveal that Zhou and his accomplices used personal and financial information obtained from multiple identity theft victims, along with stolen or forged identification documents, to apply for car loans at a car dealership in Greenwich, Connecticut. They purchased or leased at least six luxury vehicles totaling over $650,000.
Subsequently, these vehicles were transported to New York and an attempt was made to resell them, with most of the cars being recovered before the resale was completed.
One particular incident occurred on October 4, 2022. Zhou, using the identity of an identity theft victim, obtained a financing of $114,175.31 at a Greenwich dealership to purchase a 2021 Chevrolet Corvette. He also used another victim’s identity to submit a forged $14,000 check as a down payment for the vehicle. After purchasing the Corvette, Zhou transported it to New York for resale.
Among the other luxury vehicles implicated in the case were a 2022 Mercedes-Benz S580 valued at $153,297, a 2022 Mercedes-Benz GT53 valued at $146,986, and a Porsche Macan valued at $70,595.
According to federal prosecutors, Zhou and his associates repeatedly visited the same dealership in Greenwich to commit similar fraudulent acts, using the names, identification documents, and financial information of several victims to secure car loans. The prosecution described Zhou as playing a central role in these activities.
Zhou, a Chinese citizen holding a green card, had been in custody since his arrest on August 30, 2024. Prosecutors noted that he had a prior criminal record, including convictions for weapon possession, aggravated harassment, and attempted robbery. Additionally, he had been convicted in a federal court in southern New York for drug trafficking.