Man Buys Truck With Fake ID, Poses For Photo Before Driving Off
MANTECA (CBS13) -- A car dealership was duped into selling a new truck to a man with a fake ID. The suspect apparently was so proud of the purchase he posed for a picture with the new truck before driving off.
You would never suspect that the man in the picture, Heath Roberson, is about to rip-off the very truck he's standing next to in the photo.
Using a stolen ID, with a phony checking account, he conned a Manteca dealership into approving his vehicle purchase.
The salesman asked Roberson to take a photo to celebrate the new truck sale, before he drove away.
"You know if he's playing the role of a regular person, buying a legitimate truck you and I would probably taken that picture," say authorities.
But, the photo became a big deal when the check bounced and the dealership had to turn the photo over to the police.
"One of our detectives recognized him from Modesto, and said I know that guy," said the Manteca Police Department.
Turns out, Roberson was already a wanted parolee, and had been in trouble before for the same type of crime before: ID and vehicle theft.
Roberson reportedly made the phony purchase during a busy closing time, writing the bad check after banking hours, when it couldn't be confirmed.
But, if not for the photo of Roberson, he might still be dodging the authorities.
