Detroit men stole identities, went on shopping spree in Washington, police say

Two Detroit men have been arrested in Washington state after authorities allege they stole the identities of 12 people to buy luxury goods.

Detectives believe the two men, ages 25 and 27, flew into Seattle from Detroit the week of April 19 and falsified IDs to open credit lines. One tried to buy a 2019 Camaro for $51,000 from a Bellevue dealership with a counterfeit ID but failed to pick it up, police said in a statement.

The owner of the ID received an alert and contacted the dealership to report he did not apply for credit. The manager called Bellevue police; detectives learned one suspect’s identity "as he had used his own cellphone number," according to the release.

Three days later, detectives watched both men get in a $64,000 Dodge Challenger recently bought after one used a fake ID, police said. The dealership identified a photo of one of the suspects.

After the pair went on a shopping spree at local malls, police arrested them on charges including first-degree identity theft. 

Through a search warrant, detectives searched the Dodge Challenger and recovered 11 counterfeit driver’s licenses for Washington and Oregon states, 17 new Apple iPhones, four new Apple watches and a Costco credit card with a nearly $10,000 limit.

Detectives allege the pair also bought a $6,400 gold bracelet with the bogus IDs.

"Detectives are notifying all 11 known victims and are investigating if there are others," police said.