A London, Ont., man used his position as a sales representative at a Hamilton auto dealership to “fraudulently acquire 14 high-end vehicles” in a scheme that resulted in $1.5 million in losses, Hamilton police say.
In a news release announcing his arrest, Hamilton Police Service said the suspect stole people’s identities to finance purchasing vehicles without their knowledge.
In an email to CBC Hamilton, a police spokesperson said there were 14 different victims who are not from Hamilton.
The purchases were made between November 2023 and March 2024, and included vehicles made by Mercedes, BMW and Lexus, police said.
“Hamilton Police urge community members to regularly monitor their credit reports and scores to ensure all debts are accounted for and to stay vigilant against identity theft. If you notice any suspicious activity, report it immediately,” police said in the release.
They added they have only recovered one of the 14 vehicles so far, as most were taken out of the country or registered with a new vehicle identification number.
The suspect faces over 80 charges including several counts of fraud, 23 counts of identity theft and document forgery.
Police said they expect to make more arrests and continue to investigate.