Ariz. man admits he used stolen ID to try to buy $52,000 sports car

An Arizona man on Monday pleaded guilty to using a stolen identity to try to buy a $52,725 Dodge Challenger Hellcat at a Wichita car dealership.

U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said 36-year-old Thomas Rye called Eddy’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram on Jan. 2 and applied for a pre-approved credit line, then used the stolen ID for a credit check. He also tried to use that credit to buy the sports car, Beall said.

But mistakes in the credit application paperwork drew the suspicion of dealership employees. They called police and Rye was arrested, Beall said.

Rye is one of 13 people accused in a May indictment of taking park in an organization that tried to gain $3.5 million in credit and cash through fraudulent means, including stealing mail and shopping and applying for credit using stolen identities.

Rye faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on one count of wire fraud on March 6, Beall said. He could also be ordered to pay up to $250,000 in fines.

This story was originally published December 19, 2016 at 3:43 PM with the headline "Ariz. man admits he used stolen ID to try to buy $52,000 sports car."