Two Virginia men are facing charges after allegedly attempting to fraudulently buy a Tesla in Knoxville.
According to the Knoxville Police Department, detectives discovered a person attempting to purchase a Tesla Model S online from the dealership on Montvue Road.
During the inquiry, KPD claimed officers discovered that the account associated with the purchase was tied to previous fraudulent activities. Furthermore, the driver’s license number provided did not correspond to the photo submitted by the customer for pickup.
On Tuesday, the suspects, 25-year-old Yaoxu Zhou and 22-year-old Kaiheng Ding, agreed to pick up the car from the dealership.
According to KPD, Zhou completed the purchase papers with a phony Delaware driver’s license and acquired a key to the new car. Officers then detained Zhou and Ding as they exited the dealership without incident.
Investigators discovered that Zhou and Ding drove to Knoxville in a Tesla that had been fraudulently purchased in Maryland and reported stolen.
According to KPD, Zhou and Ding have been charged with two charges of car theft, computer crimes, and identity theft. They are due to appear in court for a bond hearing on Thursday.
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