'Used Car King of New York' sentenced for selling fake Texas vehicle tags
HOUSTON - A man who advertised himself as the "Used Car King of New York" has been sentenced to 53 months in federal prison for a nationwide scheme to sell hundreds of thousands of fake Texas paper vehicle tags.
Octavian Ocasio, 52, pled guilty last year to conspiring with others in the Southern District of Texas to buy and sell fraudulent Texas-issued temporary buyer tags for cars outside the state without a legitimate vehicle purchase.
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During the hearing, the court heard how Ocasio engaged in widespread fraud to use fictitious car dealerships to generate and sell Texas temporary buyer tags without actually selling cars. Meanwhile, he would make false promises and assurances that it was legal.
Ocasio admitted he and his co-conspirators communicated through Gmail, Instagram and Facebook to receive and deliver fraudulent buyer tags to buyers across the United States, including New York, Florida and Washington, D.C.
Emmanuel Padilla Reyes (Courtesy: FBI Houston)
He was also ordered by the court to pay $324,600 in restitution to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
Ocasio will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
Emmanuel Padilla Reyes aka Christian Hernandez Bonilla or Noel Rivera is also a fugitive in this case. The F.B.I. is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to his arrest.
To submit a tip, you can call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit FBI.GOV.