An Ottawa man has been released from custody after pleading guilty to using another person’s identity to fraudulently obtain high-end trucks and SUVs from Ontario dealerships.

Pasquale Fonzo, 41, pleaded guilty in a Barrie courtroom after admitting he used the identity of a Hamilton-area man to purchase luxury vehicles worth approximately $500,000.

The case involved three vehicles: a GMC Sierra AT4, a Ford F-150 Raptor and a Cadillac Escalade. The vehicles were connected to dealerships in Alliston, Watford and Niagara Falls.

Police began investigating after an Alliston dealership received documents from a man attempting to buy a pickup truck by phone. The documents included insurance information, a void cheque and a driver’s licence. Staff became suspicious and contacted the person whose identity was being used. He told the dealership he knew nothing about the purchase.

Fonzo was arrested when he later attended the dealership to pick up the vehicle.

The court heard the scheme had already succeeded at other dealerships. A Ford F-150 Raptor worth more than $171,000 was obtained from a dealership near Sarnia and was later found in a shipping container at the Port of Montreal. A Cadillac Escalade worth approximately $180,000 was obtained from a Niagara Falls dealership and was not recovered.

Fonzo received credit for time already served in custody and was released under the sentence imposed through a joint submission by Crown and defence. He was also placed on 18 months of probation.

The judge said the case involved a real identity theft victim and raised concerns about organized vehicle theft and the export of high-end vehicles overseas.

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Originally published on Canadian Fraud News.