A Georgia man was arrested in Cape Coral because police say he tried to use stolen identity information to buy a luxury vehicle worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Cape Coral Police responded to a house on June 11 after a notary arrived with paperwork for the purchase of a 2023 Mercedes G-Wagon that the homeowner never ordered.
Police say the victim's wife immediately recognized something was wrong when she saw her husband's name on a driver's license that the notary had, but the license had someone else's photo.
Police say while she was speaking with the notary, an Uber minivan arrived carrying Ronald B. Hatten, 59, whose photo matched the fraudulent license.
The woman confronted Hatten, who claimed he was there to sign paperwork, according to police.
Police say Hatten tried to get away while communicating with an apparent accomplice on his phone.
The homeowner managed to get a picture of Hatten's phone screen, which captured evidence of instructions related to the fraud scheme, according to Cape Coral Police.
Police say their investigation revealed Hatten traveled from Atlanta at the request of an associate and was to be paid $500 for his role in the scheme. They say he planned to sign the vehicle purchase paperwork outside with the notary, but the notary arrived earlier than expected.
Officers say they discovered Hatten also had an outstanding warrant from Alabama for a similar identity theft crime involving opening a bank account using someone else's identity.
During a search of his belongings, police say they found a Visa debit card with someone else's name. Hatten claimed he found the card, according to investigators.
Hatten was arrested and charged with two counts of criminal use of personal identification information. The Cape Coral Police Department's Economic Crimes Unit continues to investigate.
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