2 arrested while trying to buy car with fake ID in Folsom

Two men were nabbed at a Folsom car dealership this week for trying to use a fake ID to buy a car, but when officers investigated the suspects more closely, they discovered this was far from the first time the pair had allegedly committed identity theft and other crimes. Folsom Police report that on Feb. 3, they received a call from a local car dealership about two people who were trying to buy a car using the stolen identity of an uninvolved victim. A quick-thinking salesperson realized the ID presented for the sale was fraudulent and they immediately called Foisom PD, who rushed to the scene. When officers arrived, they found one suspect sitting in a silver Lexus backed into a parking space directly in front of the dealership, while the second suspect was inside the dealership attempting to complete the fraudulent transaction, according to police. During this time, the victim of the identity theft also contacted the dealership after receiving an alert that their personal information was being used unlawfully. During this investigation, officers found and seized nine suspected stolen California driver licenses, eight stolen and altered social security cards, eight stolen bank cards, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and five electronic devices commonly used to facilitate identity theft and fraud-related crimes. Arrested were Diego Moreno of Stockton and Jose Castellanos of Modesto on multiple felony charges, including identity theft, conspiracy and possession of a controlled substance. Both suspects were also found to have outstanding felony warrants from Stanislaus County and Arizona. Folsom Police credited the business for vigilance and partnership in identifying and reporting criminal activity.