How did two men allegedly try to fraudulently purchase a Tesla at a Knoxville dealership?
Two men from Virginia are facing multiple criminal charges after allegedly attempting to fraudulently purchase a 2026 Tesla Model S from a dealership in Knoxville, Tennessee, police said.
According to the Knoxville Police Department, Kaiheng Ding, 22, and Yaoxu Zhou, 25, were each charged with two counts of motor vehicle theft, identity theft and computer crime offenses, News.az reports.
Investigators said detectives learned on May 21 that an individual was attempting to buy a Tesla Model S online from the Tesla dealership located on Montvue Road in Knoxville.
During the investigation, detectives discovered that the account used in the transaction had allegedly been connected to previous fraudulent purchases. Police also said the driver’s license number submitted during the transaction did not match the identification photo provided for vehicle pickup.
Authorities said Ding and Zhou later arranged to collect the vehicle from the dealership on May 26.
According to police, Zhou completed the purchase paperwork at the dealership using a fraudulent Delaware driver’s license and received a key for the vehicle before officers intervened.
Knoxville Police said both suspects were arrested as they exited the dealership.
Investigators also determined that the pair had traveled to Knoxville in another Tesla vehicle that had allegedly been fraudulently purchased in Maryland and later reported stolen.
The suspects are scheduled to appear for a bond hearing on May 28 as the investigation continues.
By Faig Mahmudov
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