Chinese National’s Identity Theft Scheme Nets Porsche, Maserati—and Prison Time

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Hartford, CT – April 8, 2026 – A Chinese national living in the U.S. without legal status is headed to federal prison after orchestrating a scheme that turned stolen identities into high-end cars rolling off a Greenwich lot.

Huachun Zheng, 43, who also went by “Ri Yuan” and last resided in Queens, was sentenced Thursday in federal court to 30 months behind bars, according to David Sullivan.

Zheng pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, along with aggravated identity theft—charges tied to a broader operation that used stolen personal data and counterfeit IDs to secure financing for luxury vehicles.

Authorities say Zheng and his associates walked into a Greenwich dealership armed with other people’s identities, applying for loans and leases as if the lives on paper were their own. Once approved, the vehicles were quickly moved to New York, where the crew attempted to flip them for profit.

One deal nearly slipped clean through. On September 27, 2022, Zheng used a stolen identity to secure $94,742 in financing for a 2019 Porsche Panamera. The dealership managed to repossess the vehicle before it vanished into the resale pipeline.

Investigators say the scheme didn’t stop there. Additional vehicles were fraudulently obtained using the same playbook, and stolen identities were leveraged in other financial crimes.

Earlier that same month, on September 10, 2022, Zheng was arrested in Nassau County, New York, tied to a separate check fraud scheme involving high-end jewelry purchases. At the time, he was behind the wheel of a Maserati, also fraudulently obtained and registered under the same victim identity later used in the Porsche deal.

Zheng has been in custody since January 28, 2025. When his sentence is complete, he will face immigration proceedings.

Source: MSN