Basilio Rafael Garcia used victims' Social Security cards and birth certificates to buy dirt bikes, SUVs and more from dealerships in North Carolina.
Basilio Rafael Garcia, of Raleigh, NC, was sentenced Oct. 5 to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiring with others to use the personal identifying information of Puerto Rico residents to finance more than $1 million worth of vehicles and watercraft from dealerships in North Carolina.
Garcia pleaded guilty May 11 to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
Garcia traveled from Raleigh to Columbia, SC, and used the stolen identifying information of a Puerto Rico victim to apply for and obtain a South Carolina identification card. The supporting documents Garcia provided to the South Carolina DMV included a Social Security card and a purported Puerto Rican birth certificate in the victim’s name, as well as a counterfeit bank statement. Garcia successfully obtained the identification card with his photograph but the victim’s identifiers.
The following day, Garcia used the identification card and the victim’s personal information, including his Social Security number and credit report, to finance the purchase of Honda dirt bike from a dealership in Wake Forest, NC. Garcia used the same victim’s identity to fraudulently finance the purchase of multiple vehicles from dealerships in the Raleigh and Durham areas, including two Jeep Wranglers, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a BMW X5 and a Range Rover.
A search warrant was later executed at Garcia’s residence, during which officers recovered drivers’ licenses, birth certificates, passports, Social Security cards and vehicle titles in the names of other people. Raleigh-based law enforcement officers recovered some of the vehicles, working with counterparts in other states.
Two of Garcia’s co-conspirators in the case, Jarlin Javier Sanchez and Warlin Mateo-Tejeda, were previously sentenced to prison following their guilty pleas.
Michael Easley, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after the sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III.
“This defendant ran a scam to buy high-end luxury cars using other people’s credit. He was driven by greed and greed alone,” said Easley. “Identity theft like this can leave victims with ruined credit and dire financial straits. We are prosecuting the fraudsters and reminding consumers to protect themselves by securing personal identifying information and monitoring credit reports regularly for suspicious activity.”
The U.S. Secret Service, based in Raleigh, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case for the government.
Abby Andrews