A Bayonne couple was indicted today for allegedly conspiring to use the identity of a Nevada woman to obtain a loan to purchase a nearly $87,000 Mercedes Benz vehicle at a dealership in Rahway, Acting Attorney General Robert Lougy announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Cody Tyson, 23, and Edina M. Padilla, 25, of Bayonne, were arrested on January 29th at DZ Motors in Rahway and charged with the following:
Attempted theft by deception (2nd degree)
Identity theft (2nd degree)
Conspiracy (2nd degree)
Unlawful possession of a weapon (2nd degree)
Hindering prosecution (3rd degree)
Tampering with physical evidence (4th degree)
Obstructing administration of law (4th degree)
Possession of Hollow Nose Bullets (4th degree)
At DZ motors, they were allegedly in the process of completing paperwork to secure a car loan in the amount of $86,848 using the identity of a Nevada woman so that they could purchase a 2015 Mercedes Benz S550, officials said.
The Nevada woman was alerted by LifeLock that someone was trying to use her identity to buy a car in New Jersey, causing her to call the Rahway Police – who responded to the dealership and arrested the couple, authorities said.
Padilla allegedly denied having identification in the name of the Nevada woman, but an officer observed and seized a Maryland driver’s license from Padilla that was in the name of the Nevada woman, but had a photo of Padilla.
The vehicle that Tyson and Padilla drove to the car dealership was impounded by the police, but both defendants denied having keys to it, according to court documents.
However, later, an officer saw Tyson trying to hide a set of keys while in a police holding cell and officers took custody of them, officials said.
The private tow operator who towed the seized vehicle to the Rahway Police Department used the keys to open the vehicle and perform an inventory on its contents, in accordance with a local ordinance.
Inside the car, the tow operator found a 9mm handgun in the vehicle’s center console and alerted police. A detective seized the gun, which was loaded with bullets, including some hollow nose bullets, authorities said.
Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $150,000, while the charge of unlawful possession of a weapon also carries a mandatory minimum period of parole ineligibility of 3-and-a-half years.
Third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000, while fourth-degree charges carry a sentence of up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
The AG’s Office also said that the Bayonne Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service aided in the investigation as well.
