Man Sentenced for Financial Institution and Identity Fraud

U.S. Attorney’s Office – Northern District of Oklahoma, January 8, 2021

A man has been sentenced today in federal court for fraudulently using another individual’s identity to purchase an RV in the Northern District of Oklahoma, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.

Ryan Andy Cuevas, 32, of Moreno Valley, California, has been sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell to 21 months in federal prison and 3 years supervised release.

“Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. The ramifications for victims can be devastating, personally and financially,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Identity thieves like Ryan Cuevas will be prosecuted vigorously in this district. I applaud the efforts of the Social Security Administration’s Inspector General and Bartlesville Police Department for their great investigative work on this case.”

In his plea agreement, Cuevas admitted that on November 30, 2019, having traveled to Oklahoma from California, he went to Bob Hurley RV in Tulsa to purchase a recreational vehicle fraudulently. He used the identity of a man in California, without his permission, while duping the dealership into a vehicle sale. Cuevas used the man’s name and social security number to apply for credit financing, knowing the dealership would submit the loan application papers to Tinker Federal Credit Union for the purpose of obtaining the funds to purchase the RV. He secured $38,000 to purchase the vehicle. Bob Hurley was able to recover the RV once Cuevas’ fraud was discovered.

The Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General and the Bartlesville Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Leitch prosecuted the case.

Link.