Clare County, Mich. — Victor Julio Telleria-Sanchez, an illegal immigrant, has been arrested for allegedly scamming a woman out of $3,600 by using counterfeit money to buy her car on Facebook Marketplace.
According to the Clare County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred on New Year’s Day when Telleria-Sanchez met the woman to complete the sale of her vehicle. He handed over 36 $100 bills as payment, but when the woman later went to a nearby gas station, it was discovered that at least one of the bills was counterfeit. Subsequent investigation revealed that all 36 bills were fake.
The woman’s vehicle was listed as stolen in a statewide law enforcement database, and Telleria-Sanchez’s Facebook profile was found to be deactivated shortly after the transaction. On January 2, the woman’s car was pulled over by a police officer in St. Joseph County, and Telleria-Sanchez, who was a passenger, was arrested.
Telleria-Sanchez faces charges of false pretenses and uttering and publishing, with a possible sentence of up to 15 years in prison if convicted. He was held at the Clare County Jail on a $50,000 bond, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a hold on him for his illegal immigration status.
The investigation continues as authorities work to address the scam and prevent further fraud related to counterfeit currency.
