BEAUMONT, TEXAS — A 58-year-old Beaumont man will spend the next three years in prison after pleading guilty to using a false identity in an attempt to purchase a $90,000 Cadillac Escalade through an online application.
Terry Don Thompson entered his plea for the felony offense of False Statement to Obtain Property or Credit, and Jefferson County District Judge Raquel West accepted the plea on July 8, according to District Attorney Keith Giblin.
The charges stem from a March 2025 incident in which Thompson applied to purchase the luxury vehicle from Tom Peacock Cadillac in Houston using fraudulent identification.
Detectives from the Beaumont Police Department’s Auto Theft Unit, Special Assignment Unit, and the South East Texas Auto Theft Task Force executed a sting operation after verifying Thompson’s real identity with facial recognition software.
The real Escalade was driven by undercover officers to a prearranged meeting spot in Beaumont, where Thompson planned to take possession of the vehicle. He was arrested without incident as he approached the SUV. Officers recovered the fake ID used in the application during a search.
Investigators also found that Thompson had a criminal history with prior convictions in Oklahoma, Colorado, and Texas.
“This was an operation, drawn up, planned out and executed flawlessly by BPD,” said Assistant District Attorney Tommy L. Coleman. “This case is a great example of excellent police work.”
Thompson will be eligible for parole after serving one-fourth of his sentence.
