LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Seattle man was sentenced at present to 4 years and eight months in federal jail for stealing victims’ identities, utilizing these identities to steal autos from automobile dealerships in a number of states, after which promoting these autos to unwitting patrons, introduced Performing U.S. Legal professional Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Particular Agent in Cost Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI.
In response to courtroom paperwork, from February 2016 to March 2016, Justin Lee Tripp, 48, and others conspired to make use of private identities with out authorization to buy greater than $230,980 of autos in Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada. As a part of the scheme, Tripp and a co-conspirator obtained different peoples’ private info, produced false identification playing cards that included Tripp’s and the co-conspirator’s pictures, and used fraudulent traces of credit score to buy electronics and autos – together with a Ford F350 pickup truck, a 5th Wheel RV trailer; and a Dodge Ram pickup truck.
In March 2016, Tripp tried to purchase two jet skis and a trailer at a Las Vegas dealership utilizing a counterfeit driver’s license, fraudulent bank card, and a fraudulent cash order. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Division officers tried to arrest Tripp who resisted a number of instructions, assaulted the officers, and tried to flee. After a wrestle, officers arrested Tripp. On the time of his arrest, Tripp possessed a cast driver’s license and two fraudulent bank cards. Throughout a search of the stolen truck Tripp drove to the Las Vegas dealership, officers discovered two California license plates that have been reported stolen, and a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol that was reported stolen in Washington. Officers additionally searched a stolen fifth Wheel RV trailer and located methamphetamine, a number of license plates, a backpack containing housebreaking instruments, and a forgery lab used to supply counterfeit paperwork that have been used to additional the fraud scheme.
On the time of the crime spree, Tripp was a convicted felon serving a federal time period of supervised launch within the Western District of Washington.
Tripp pleaded responsible in September 2020, to at least one rely of conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud and one rely of aggravated id theft. Along with the jail time period, U.S. District Choose Andrew P. Gordon sentenced Tripp to 3 years of supervised launch.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Division. Assistant U.S. Legal professional Kimberly Frayn prosecuted the case.
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