Massachusetts man who led group that used stolen IDs to buy vehicles pleads guilty to identity fraud

A Massachusetts man described by authorities as the ringleader of a group that used stolen identities to buy multiple vehicles worth a total of more than $1.5 million has pleaded guilty to fraud and identity theft charges, federal prosecutors said.

Alvin Rivera, 39, of Haverhill, faces more than 20 years in prison at sentencing on June 15, according to a statement Monday from the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston.

Rivera provided stolen identities to his alleged accomplices, who between October 2017 and September 2020, visited Massachusetts car dealerships to purchase late-model vehicles and apply for 100% financing, federal prosecutors said.

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They used stolen personal information, fraudulent Puerto Rico driver’s licenses and Social Security cards as proof of identification during those transactions, according to court documents. Many of the fraudulently purchased vehicles were exported out of the U.S.

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Rivera’s alleged accomplices also used the stolen identities to open bank accounts and apply for credit cards, authorities said.

Rivera personally used stolen identities to apply for credit and fraudulently purchase vehicles in a similar scheme in New Jersey between October 2017 and February 2018, prosecutors said.

He pleaded guilty Monday to wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number