STUART — A Stuart man has been charged after police say he used an 87-year-old victim’s personal information to make a down payment on a vehicle purchased with fraudulent funds.
The Stuart Police Department received a report on May 1 involving a vehicle that had been purchased using fraudulent funds. Detectives launched an investigation into the transaction and the circumstances surrounding the purchase.
Investigators identified Giuseppe Prestigiacomo as the suspect. According to police, Prestigiacomo allegedly used the victim’s personal information, including credit card and driver’s license information, to make a down payment on a vehicle for himself.
Detectives determined that Prestigiacomo obtained the victim’s information while employed by an air conditioning company.
As a result of the investigation, Prestigiacomo was charged with two counts of criminal use of personal identification information and one count of grand theft.
Police did not release additional details about the investigation or the status of the case.