What started as a sleek new-car pickup at Knoxville’s Montvue Road Tesla store ended in handcuffs Tuesday, after police say two men tried to drive off in a 2026 Tesla Model S using bogus paperwork.
Officers detained 25-year-old Yaoxu Zhou and 22-year-old Kaiheng Ding as they walked out of the showroom and recovered a key that investigators say belonged to the vehicle. According to police, the purchase paperwork included a fraudulent Delaware driver’s license, and the buyer's account was linked to earlier suspicious transactions.
What Detectives Say Went Down
Detectives began looking into the case after spotting an online order for the Model S and tracing the planned pickup to the Montvue Road location, as reported by WATE 6 On Your Side. Investigators say Zhou completed the purchase paperwork using what turned out to be a fake Delaware driver’s license, and that the license number did not match the photo submitted for vehicle pickup.
WATE 6 On Your Side also reported that the pair had driven to Knoxville in another Tesla that had itself been fraudulently purchased in Maryland and later reported stolen, adding a cross-state wrinkle to the alleged scheme.
Part of a Bigger Playbook
Law-enforcement agencies say operations that rely on stolen identities, forged driver’s licenses and bogus financing to snag late-model vehicles are hardly rare. These schemes surface around the country, often hopping state lines.
The federal government has taken notice. The U.S. Department of Justice has pursued multi-state cases that use similar tactics, which can complicate investigations and sometimes lead to federal charges when they are tied to larger conspiracies.
Charges and What Comes Next
Ding and Zhou were booked on counts that include theft of a motor vehicle, computer crime, and identity theft, and a bond hearing is scheduled for Thursday, May 28, the WATE report notes.
Under Tennessee law, identity theft and related offenses are treated as felonies and can carry prison terms and fines, legal references say. See FindLaw’s Tennessee overview for context on classifications and penalties.
The incident is a reminder that online vehicle deals and quick curbside pickups can be tempting targets for fraudsters. Anyone who suspects their identity was used in a vehicle purchase can start a federal recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov and should contact local law enforcement to document the case.
