TPD: Man tried to purchase vehicle using stolen identity

(WCTV)
Published: Jul. 31, 2017 at 12:40 PM EDT
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By: Amy Robinson | WCTV Eyewitness News

July 31, 2017

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- A man has been arrested after police say he tried to purchase a vehicle from a Tallahassee car dealership using a stolen identity.

Sean Jones, 47, was arrested Saturday.

Officers with the Tallahassee Police Department responded to the Proctor Honda Dealership on West Tennessee Street on Saturday in reference to a man that was attempting to purchase a $42,000 vehicle using a stolen identity.

An employee at the dealership called TPD after running a credit report and discovering that the name the man was using belonged to an identity theft victim.

Police say the man, later identified as Sean Jones, used a fraudulent driver’s license, signed a purchase agreement and credit application, and showed employees an insurance card in another person’s name.

Following an investigation, Jones was arrested and charged with criminal use of identification, grand theft over $20,000, forgery, and possession of a counterfeit driver's license.

He was booked into the Leon County Jail.

A spokesperson for Proctor Honda said in statement, "We have a lot of processes in place to detect when something like this goes on. The business manager on duty followed the proper processes, which resulted in a fraud alert and we were able to contact TPD. We are happy they were able to resolve this issue for us."

TPD is reminding citizens to be vigilant in protecting themselves against identify theft by:

• Checking each credit card and bank statement carefully and often.

• Shredding any documents with personal and financial information.

• Reviewing credit reports from all three credit reporting agencies (Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian)

• Reporting all identity theft cases to law enforcement. In Tallahassee, this can be done online at

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