Michael Gonzalez reportedly managed to trick Elon Musk’s Tesla into handing over five brand new electric cars without paying a dime, just the beginning of his scams involving the cars, but now he is paying for the electric vehicles in a different way — with a jail sentence of four long years.
Forbes reports that in a scheme that left Elon Musk’s Tesla completely befuddled, a 34-year-old man named Michael Gonzalez successfully manipulated the electric car giant’s payment system, acquiring five new vehicles valued at over $560,000 in total without paying anything at all. Gonzalez’s plan involved providing false bank details during the online purchase, allowing him to receive the vehicles before Tesla could realize the accounts lacked sufficient funds.
Tesla burning in California (KCRA/YouTube)
Gonzalez’s fraudulent activities did not stop at merely acquiring the vehicles. He resold three of them, deceiving the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles into providing titles for the cars, which he then passed on to unsuspecting buyers. His actions underscore a glaring vulnerability in digital purchasing systems, particularly for high-value items like vehicles, where the verification of payment details is crucial to prevent such fraudulent activities.
In a particularly brazen act, when Tesla failed to provide a certificate of ownership for one of the cars, preventing him from obtaining a title, Gonzalez took the vehicle to the frozen surface of Lake Champlain, set it ablaze, and attempted to claim the loss with his insurance company. This act of insurance fraud was what ultimately raised red flags and brought his scam to light.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont detailed that Gonzalez pleaded guilty to five counts of possessing and disposing of stolen vehicles that had crossed state lines. His sentence includes four years in prison, followed by three years of probation. Additionally, Gonzalez has been ordered to pay $493,043 in restitution to Tesla and another $231,900 to the United States government.
Read more at Forbes here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.