A Georgia man is in custody after selling a stolen vehicle with an altered license plate for $10,000. According to the police, the man reportedly sold the car after creating a cloned VIN number.
Gustavo Frias-Martinez has been charged with forgery, theft by receiving stolen property and possession of a stolen vehicle with an altered VIN, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
According to the police, a man from Norcross, Georgia bought the 2016 Nissan Altima from Frias-Martinez in July, apparently for his daughter.
When the daughter went to register the car at the Gwinnett County tag office, the staff discovered the VIN was a fake and they alerted the authorities.
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Police officers later determined the car had been stolen from Miami, and Frias-Martinez allegedly placed a clone VIN on the car. The clone covered up the originally VIN with one from a similar car.
The car was stolen from Miami.
Frias-Martinez sold the car from his home after meeting with the alleged victim at a mechanic shop in Duluth, Georgia. The sale was made for $10,000.
Police are now inquiring as to whether Frias-Martinez has made similar deals in the past. They have requested that if anyone else has been a victim of Frias-Martinez's scheme to contact detectives at 770-513-5300.
(h/t Atlanta Journal-Constitution)