What if I told you that an 18-year-old walked into a dealership hoping to drive away in a $54,000 luxury car using a fake identity? On August 26th, 2025, police in Ohio responded [music] to a luxury car dealership after employees became suspicious of a young woman trying to purchase a $54,000 vehicle. >> I guess they were trying to put a card, get a card down, keep it or whatever, but I told them I don't think that's a good idea because Uh this is me taking a big ass risk. I'm talking about this is my ID, you know what I'm saying? >> So, what mistake exposed the entire scheme before she could leave the dealership? >> Um I know the person who had had it made. I I know who that is and I know their Instagram. Never had any clue that we was going this far. So, when I looked at my location, I'm like, why is we going all the way to Akron? This is far as hell. This past Bedford. I'm like, man, >> And when detectives begin asking simple questions, will she stick to her story [music] or will the truth come out much sooner than anyone expects? All right, we're not going to waste any more time. Let's jump straight into the video. >> I don't know if you want to go around a different way or not, but So, we got her just sitting in the car. >> Okay. >> Just a quick rundown. So, she gave us a credit app. She had trouble filling out her information. Signed on the back. Her name is Emily. Signed it with a second E in the name. Came in saying she wanted a $450 >> At the beginning? >> Yeah. No, it's Emily and then instead of just L Y, E L Y. And that's not her name is on her license. She just has like a temp license. Um she said she wanted a $450 payment. Wasn't sure if she'd get approved. Showed her a $1,200 payment. She signed right away. We looked up the address. Doesn't line up. She said she's in Cincinnati, works at Cleveland Clinic. Nothing. She got dropped off, she said. Ran up didn't call in about the car and it's a Range Rover, so you guys have a license? >> I have the temp license in there. >> Do you want to go over by her or do you want to go around? >> I just want to see the license. Maybe I can run it and see. >> The front of the When the temp license says she got it out of uh the Elida like up here. This doesn't We pulled her credit. We asked her if she had any previous car loans. We could see that she did. She said no. >> Huh? But there's a picture on her Look like her? >> No, no, because it's the temp and it's a good like copy. >> Yeah. >> That's not exactly the strongest start if you're trying to convince people that everything's legit. And the dealership employees deserve some credit here. Sometimes it's not one big lie that gives someone away. It's 10 small details that just don't add up. Businesses often check a person's ID, address, and credit history before approving a major purchase, right? When several details don't match, employees may contact the police to investigate possible fraud or identity theft. >> The license has no name. >> All right. >> It's the license. >> So she signed it. >> Yeah, they do. >> Huh? >> And obviously that doesn't really match that. Unless she signed it again here with the kind of second name. Then we asked her these simple questions about her credit report like previous auto loan. She didn't >> She didn't know she had one or not. This is a $54,000 loan she had before. >> And she's from there. She says she works at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland. It's a 216. And then look where she got this at, right over in Elida. >> Where's Mason? That's Cincinnati? >> Yeah, downtown Cincinnati. >> Where's she saying she's living now? >> She says she's lived here for 3 years and 3 months. But, you can see here, she almost screwed up that. >> Was she looking at her license when she was filling this out? I don't know or >> So, my sales guy told me he was on his break. My sales guy said that he has making a copy of this or he had asked her if she was struggling to fill this part out without the info. >> Mhm. >> There. >> Hello. >> Can you guess why I'm here today? >> Um why? >> Can you guess? You have no idea? Okay. Um >> Do you have my ID? >> Yeah. So, ex- They're telling me, and you can tell me this is >> Mhm. >> true or not. Where do you live right now? >> Um >> Don't look at this. Where do you live? >> I live on Garden View Heights. >> Okay, which one? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Do you have a real ID on you? >> No, not right now. >> No? Not yours? >> Um not at the moment. I don't have my ID, but I do have my driver's license. >> What's your name? >> Lova. >> Okay. Lova. Stand up, put your hands behind your back. >> That's pretty much game over right there. Yeah, at this point the handcuffs weren't a surprise. They were the predictable result after one inconsistency followed another. Here's where the law gets especially interesting. Many people believe that if a business catches the scam before losing any money, then no fraud actually occurred. And that exact argument made its way to the US Supreme Court in Kuczynski vs. United States. The defense claimed that because the victim never suffered an actual financial loss, there was no completed fraud. But the court unanimously rejected that argument. The justices explained that fraud does not depend on whether the victim ultimately loses money or property. The crime is complete the moment someone uses a fake identity, forged documents, or other false information to deceive a business into approving a transaction. In other words, once the deception is put into motion to obtain something of value, the felony has already been committed, even if the scheme is uncovered before anyone drives away with a car. >> So you want that piece of paper that you made up? >> Yes. >> Now it says >> I did >> Read that. You read it what forgery part? >> Yes. >> Okay. And it says there Do you have anything on you that's illegal? >> No. >> Anything sharp, dangerous? >> No. >> Drugs? >> No. >> Weapons or anything like that? >> Nope. >> Okay. All right. Anything else besides your phone? >> Nope. >> Nope. Okay. All right. I'll be right back in if you don't mind and somebody wouldn't mind waiting around. I know you guys are closing and looking to go home or anything like that. All right. We're going to walk right out these doors here. You stand right by this front tire for me. All right. Well, listen. You got the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to talk to a lawyer and have him or her present with you while you're being questioned. Do you understand all those rights that I read to you? >> No. >> Okay. Why are you out here with that fake license? >> It wasn't even my idea, bro. Somebody forced me. You know what I'm saying, though? >> So, whose idea was it? What were What were they trying to do? >> I guess they were trying to put a car to get a car down and just keep it or whatever, but I told them I don't think that's a good idea because >> Here 14, is that your name? >> I This is me taking a big ass risk. On top of that, this is my ID. You know what I'm saying? It's my stuff. On top of that, I'm still young. So, when I had came in here, they had said >> So, you were You were told what? >> They They told me to come They had drove me all the way down here, gave me that Yes, gave me that and told me to just go down and say that you want to put a car down for a hundred I mean, for a zero dollars. >> Okay. Well, that confession came faster than I [music] expected. Lesson of the day, if your defense starts with "It wasn't my idea, bro", you're probably not off to a great start. Young people can be especially vulnerable to peer pressure or being influenced by others who promise quick rewards. Even when someone knows a plan's wrong, the desire to fit in, make money, or trust the wrong people can lead to bad decisions. Why'd you think that was a good idea or even going to work? >> Exactly. Well, I have I have a job, but I have I I raise my grandma like I live to take care of her. This is irritating. >> So, you knew that you were coming in here with a fake ID to try to buy a car. >> Not buy it. >> Not buy it, then what? >> Yeah, I wasn't going to buy it. It was zero down. I was going to try to if I'm was to get approved for it. So. >> Okay. You were going to try to get approved for it and if you got approved then what? >> Um. Nothing. >> You were going to walk out the door? >> I was just >> You were going to try to get the car? >> No, I couldn't I I can't drive the car. I ain't driving it, but I was going to see if I could get approved then I was going to come back, you know, next day or something. Well, whatever day they wanted to do. But I I was just trying to see if I could get approved for a car. >> Okay. You're 18 years old? >> Yes. >> Have you tried this before? >> Nope. >> Uh-huh. >> Nope, this is my first ever time this ever doing something like this. >> You've been arrested before? >> Nope. >> Even as a kid? I mean that's explained. Or sealed, as you say. No. >> This is very nerve-wracking for me, so you know, I haven't >> Is this pants stolen, too? >> No, I just got these the other day from my auntie. I just kept the tag on there just to show people I got money. >> Every answer somehow creates two more questions. I do believe she's nervous, especially if this is really her first arrest, but being nervous doesn't erase bad choices. And leaving the price tag on her pants just to show people her money, probably the most honest thing she said. >> Something I I don't know why we do that, but that's what we do. We all keep the tags on our stuff just to show people how much it cost them. >> Yeah. We don't do that in Akron. Must be a Cleveland thing. Or something in your group of people. Did you read this thing at all or >> Nope. >> You should have read that [ __ ] You should have read this part. >> Yeah, I should I should have read that [ __ ] You right. >> Tells you it's illegal to have this right on it. >> I didn't even know we had >> This part you didn't read. This part you didn't read, but I'm sure you probably studied this part real good to try to >> I should have read it. But I have my own license. That's That's what's wild to me. Like I should have read that [ __ ] >> Who made that? >> Um I know the person who had had it made. I I know who that is and I know their Instagram. And yes, I will be a snitch. I don't care. >> Who made it? >> Um his name is on Instagram. >> Do you know his real name at all? >> Um no. >> No? >> I just know what he look like. Nope. I know his number. >> What's his number? >> It's in my phone. >> All right. >> But I can show you the Instagram also. >> Why did you guys decide to come down on Akron tonight? >> Um this is where they took me. I had no clue there was like I never had any clue that we was going this far. So when I looked at my location, I'm like, "Why is we going all the way to Akron?" >> Yeah. >> This is far as hell. >> Yeah. >> This past Bedford. I'm like, >> Yeah. You took You guys had the whole Bedford Auto Mile. Right there. All them car dealerships. >> I'm just irritated. I'm some [ __ ] >> Yeah? If you do have anything you're not supposed to have, they have a scanner at the jail. >> That's fine. I don't got nothing. >> They'll see it. They can see stuff that's inside you. >> Okay. >> It's like an X-ray machine. >> I can definitely respect the fact that she didn't argue, fight, or resist. [music] She didn't make excuses either. She just simply accepted what was happening and stayed respectful to what the [music] officer. I respect that. You know, I respect her for not acting like a fool. At least she didn't waste the cops' time by lying for her >> [music] >> an hour or two. You know, when people realize that their actions have real consequences, [music] self-preservation often becomes their strongest motivation. >> Yeah, I don't got >> So tell us now cuz it's another It's another felony charge. >> It's my I don't got nothing. >> I just >> I just came out here with my phone and myself. >> Okay. So, is this the car she was trying to buy, this Kia? Did she come up Did she come in with this or >> No, she I needed her to show me proof of uh insurance so whoever she was talking to created that and then she was >> Oh, oh it is okay, it is insurance. Okay. Oh, I see. Okay. >> Never a dull moment here at Rio. >> Yeah. Can't believe they thought she could get away with it. But when you're 18, I'm guessing. Yeah. Uh tell me about these insurance documents. Huh? >> They sent that to me so I could show you. >> They sent it to you? Okay, so you didn't come up with them yourself? Was it the same person that paid for the person that sent you these things? >> Uh my phone, I can show you. >> Okay. They're up in Cleveland now, this tape person? Or you hang out with them in person at all? >> Well, this is actually my second time meeting them. They shouldn't be that far. It's not too far from here cuz they're the ones who dropped me off and was waiting. So. >> Was it Was it the tape guy that dropped you off? Did he drop you off? >> Yes, yes. >> Um Did they Were you supposed to call them to come pick you up? >> Well, they was When I came out, they was supposed to be waiting right there where they dropped me off at, but I They supposed to be >> saw me and took off, I bet you. >> Yeah, that's what I'm guessing. But >> What kind of car they got? >> Um it was a Nissan. >> Color? >> Um gray. Gray Nissan. And that when I first pulled up I was sitting I'm sitting over there. >> Funny how the masterminds are always the first one to hit the gas. Yeah, she was just a person chosen to walk into the dealership while everyone else stayed safely out of sight. That's a terrible deal because the person taking all the risk [music] is usually the one left facing all the consequences. This is one of the dumbest ways to ruin your life at 18 that I've ever heard of. >> And they were sitting over there you could see them? >> Yeah. >> All right, yeah, they probably took off. They'd be dumb to hang out. Okay. >> [laughter] [laughter] [snorts] [cough] >> Excuse me. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Is there any way I could show you the text messages or like his number or anything? >> Yeah. >> I ain't going to face it. >> Yeah, uh >> [snorts] >> What are what like what are you trying to say? >> Like I ain't trying to get put down for this. I ain't I got a life. I got to go to work. >> but you did. >> [clears throat] >> But I'm not the one who made the the thing. >> You got to be careful what what you do. You're 18 now. >> [snorts] >> You got some real consequences. >> Do you know how long I'm going to be in there? >> No, I do not know. >> Could you call my mom for me? >> You'll be able to do that in here and all tonight. >> Could you Could I just show you the guy's face? Or anything? >> I don't need to see that at the moment. >> Okay. >> These kids have no fear. I was scared to do anything at 18. You know, the level of bad decisions is honestly shocking. You have the right to remain stupid. Knowingly using fake identification or false documents can still lead to criminal charges even if someone else made them. Helping investigators may be useful, but it doesn't automatically remove legal responsibility. Well, the 18-year-old was arrested and charged with forgery and using false identification. Prosecutors generally must prove that a person knowingly used false documents [music] with the intent to deceive during a financial transaction. Even if someone else planned the scheme or provided the fake ID, knowingly taking part can still result in criminal liability. Investigators may also pursue additional charges against anyone who organized or assisted in the fraud. Now, cases like this often rely on documentary evidence, surveillance footage, witness statements, and the suspect's own admissions. A confession can strengthen the prosecution's case, but prosecutors still have to prove every element of the offenses beyond reasonable doubt. At 18, the parts of the brain involved in impulse [music] control and long-term decision-making are still developing. Combined with peer pressure or the promise of quick money, some young adults take risks without fully understanding the legal consequences. That may help explain poor judgment, but it doesn't excuse criminal behavior. Also, click on the shocking body cam videos on your screen or unbelievable moments like this. And don't forget to like and subscribe to our channel so you never miss any of our upcoming body cam videos.