Office of Inspector General (OIG)

PHOENIX – Detectives with ADOT’s Office of Inspector General have arrested a car dealer employee for allegedly committing numerous thefts against his Phoenix-based car dealership and its customers.

PHOENIX – Detectives with the Arizona Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General have arrested a used car dealer after he allegedly cheated customers and lenders out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through fraudulent schemes and practices.

PHOENIX – Working to protect people around the country from fraud involving used cars, state investigators have broken up a major criminal operation based in the East Valley that illegally produced tens of thousands of titles for vehicles being sold in 42 states.

Identity theft involving Arizona driver licenses and ID cards. Used vehicle deals in which buyers can’t get titles transferred to their names. Unlicensed dealers flipping salvaged vehicles to unsuspecting buyers in a practice known as curbstoning.

Arizona Department of Transportation detectives have arrested a Chandler resident whose nursing license was revoked for insurance fraud after she allegedly used a stolen identity to try and obtain a new nursing license.

A Gilbert man who manages a used car dealership has been arrested for selling a vehicle with a false odometer reading in addition to other violations by detectives with the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General.

A Glendale resident who allegedly used his brother’s identity to apply for an Arizona driver license was revealed to have a felony warrant out of Illinois and has been charged with forgery thanks to Arizona Department of Transportation detectives’ use of facial recognition training and technology.

Arizona Department of Transportation officers stopped a drug smuggling operation when they found 108 pounds of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia stashed in the trunk of a vehicle on a car hauler in western Arizona.

A Goodyear resident who used stolen identities to obtain Arizona commercial driver licenses, open a business and purchase a home was arrested thanks to Arizona Department of Transportation detectives’ use of facial recognition training and technology.

PHOENIX – Since the Arizona Department of Transportation began using facial recognition technology and training in 2015 to protect Arizonans from identity theft, detectives have brought more than 100 cases to court.

It’s a process that begins when a person applies for or renews a driver license or ID card at a Motor Vehicle Division office or Authorized Third Party business, and it is a seamless part of the customer’s visit.

PHOENIX – A Mesa resident who allegedly used the identity of his deceased brother to collect nearly $300,000 in Social Security benefits has been charged with forgery and fraud schemes thanks to Arizona Department of Transportation detectives’ use of facial recognition training and technology.

After being alerted by the facial recognition system, ADOT’s Office of Inspector General found that Frank Becht, 89, had for the past 28 years been using the name, date of birth and Social Security number of his brother, Kenneth Becht, who died in 1989.

PHOENIX – A Tempe resident who allegedly stole the identity of a baby killed 35 years ago has been arrested thanks to Arizona Department of Transportation detectives’ use of facial recognition training and technology.

Acting on a tip from the Social Security Administration, ADOT’s Office of Inspector General found that Jeremiah Ash, 35, had for the past several years been using the name, date of birth and Social Security number of Michael Anthony Lewis II, who was 10 months old when he was killed in Oceanside, California.

PHOENIX – A man who eluded authorities for 40 years after a sexual assault conviction has been returned to New York state to serve his sentence after an investigation and arrest by Arizona Department of Transportation detectives.

Acting on a tip from the Social Security Administration, ADOT’s Office of Inspector General determined that Todd Matus, now 62, used the identity of a deceased Massachusetts resident, including name, date of birth and Social Security number, to obtain an Arizona driver license and a vehicle title and registration.

PHOENIX – A Phoenix resident who allegedly used a stolen identity to get a duplicate driver license has been arrested thanks to Arizona Department of Transportation detectives’ use of facial recognition training and technology.

PHOENIX – A Casa Grande resident who allegedly used stolen identities to fraudulently obtain benefits and settlement payments was arrested thanks to Arizona Department of Transportation detectives’ use of facial recognition training and technology.

The case began when Sharon Forrest, 51, applied for a driver license in early February. A review found that her photo closely resembled two other photos in ADOT’s database, and detectives with FBI training in facial recognition determined that all three photos were of Forrest.

PHOENIX – An undercover bust of a man accused of selling more than 100 vehicles without a dealer license is a reminder for buyers to be wary and do their homework.

Detectives with the Arizona Department of Transportation cited Daniel Miranda, 35, of Avondale after arranging for a detective to buy a vehicle advertised for sale. Their investigation revealed that Miranda had sold 124 vehicles in the last 11 months without a license. This is known as curbstoning.

PHOENIX – Because a title establishes who owns and has liens on a vehicle, altering titles is a common way that criminals defraud those purchasing used vehicles in private sales.

That’s why it’s worth noting that in late May, when a robbery occurred at an Authorized Third Party motor vehicle services business in Phoenix, the suspect made off not with cash but with 1,300 blank vehicle titles. That case remains under investigation.

PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Transportation detectives have arrested a man for submitting falsified paperwork when applying for veteran status on his driver license and for obtaining license plates reserved for veterans.

ADOT’s Office of the Inspector General continues investigating whether Eric Wolfe, 45, a resident of Tempe, used fraudulently obtained credentials to defraud businesses and other organizations for a business, Project 22 LLC, and a nonprofit, Freedom K-9 Rehab. ADOT detectives booked him into the custody of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday.