Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty in Boston Court to Wire Fraud, Identity Theft in Luxury Car Scheme

The ongoing struggle against identity theft and its far-reaching consequences has come to the forefront as Joshua Cruz, a 35-year-old Lawrence man, recently pleaded guilty to a series of charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and false representation of a Social Security number in a Boston courtroom. This case, investigated by Homeland Security Investigation's Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), has exposed an intricate scheme wherein Cruz and multiple co-defendants used the stolen identities of U.S. citizens from Puerto Rico to fraudulently obtain bank accounts, credit cards, and late-model luxury vehicles. According to the Department of Justice, the fraudulent activities took place between December 2018 and January 2019.

Cruz's modus operandi involved visiting multiple Massachusetts car dealerships with the intent to purchase high-end vehicles, for which he demanded 100% financing. In order to secure the necessary funding, Cruz provided the dealerships with stolen personal information belonging to U.S. citizens residing in Puerto Rico, including fraudulent driver's licenses and Social Security cards. The scheme, which spanned over a month-long period, netted Cruz a total of three luxury cars, valued at over $170,000 collectively. His conviction could lead to up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges, and five years for the false representation of a Social Security number charge. Sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2024 as reported by the Department of Justice.

In this case, assistance was provided by the Lowell, Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Woburn, and Dartmouth Police Departments. The successful apprehension and prosecution were the result of painstaking efforts by multiple agencies and individuals, including Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations, Interim Colonel John E. Mawn Jr. of the Massachusetts State Police, and Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez.

The remaining co-defendants, who were charged by a criminal complaint in September 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020, are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law per the Department of Justice.