7 people accused of using stolen identities to buy KIA vehicles in Daytona Beach
Seven people were accused of using identities stolen from elderly victims, including some who were deceased, to purchase seven KIA vehicles, according to a press release from the Daytona Beach Police Department.
The investigation began in July 2021 when an elderly man in Delray Beach discovered his identity had been used to buy a vehicle at Daytona KIA. He reported it to the Delray Police Department which in turn notified Daytona Beach Police Department, which began an investigation eventually dubbed "Operation Soul Stingers."
Investigators believe that a group, led by Danthony McMillan, 47, and Shaquiledra Renee Johnson, 25, both of DeLand, obtained social security numbers, driver’s license numbers and other personal information from nine elderly people to make the purchases, the release stated.
They used that information to open credit lines and make illegal vehicle purchases totaling more than $350,000, according to the release. The purchases were made between July and September, the release stated.
All the purchases were made at the Daytona KIA dealership except for one at Hyundai of Fort Myers, investigators said.
The group bought seven KIAs from the dealerships: three Stingers, two Souls, a Forte and a K5, police said. Police said all but one of the Stingers have been recovered.
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McMillan and Jennifer Rose Polgar, 28, of DeLand, have been arrested, police said.
Police are still looking for Johnson, as well as Thomas James Taylor Jr., 59, of Daytona Beach; Erick Jerrell Gilbert, 39, of DeLeon Springs; Shatequa Trivera Burson, 32, of DeLand; and Freddie Lee Farley, 58, of DeLand.
The accused face a number of charges, including fraudulent use of personal identification information, grand theft, organized scheme to defraud and criminal use of a deceased person’s identification, the release stated.
Police have confirmed 13 victims so far but none in Volusia County at this point. One victim lives in Welaka in Putnam County, according to the release.
“To take advantage of anyone like this is reprehensible, but especially those who are elderly,” Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young stated in a press release. “Our fraud detectives did great to sort through this maze and we couldn’t have done it without the help of our law enforcement partners.”
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office arrested McMillan in September driving one of the KIA Stingers, the release stated.
Detectives searched McMillan’s phone and found purchases made in the victims' names along with fraudulent checks and applications for credit cards as well as loans, including COVID-19 related loans, the release stated.
Detectives are still reviewing the information found on McMillan’s phone and there could be more than 70 additional victims, mostly in South Florida, the release stated.
Detectives are also working to determine how exactly the group got the victims’ information.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Stolen IDs: Florida group accused of using stolen identities to buy KIA vehicles
