The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrested a South Florida man in connection with the fraudulent purchase of high-performance and luxury cars.

 

Detectives launched their investigation on July 9th when they were alerted to a suspicious online sale of a 2019 Dodge Challenger Hellcat from a local dealership. Through investigation, detectives determined a fraudulent driver’s license and credit card were used during the transaction. They also learned the same falsified account information was used to purchase additional vehicles online, including a 2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE in Massachusetts, which was scheduled to be delivered to a location in South Florida. In partnership with the United States Secret Service and Miami-Dade Police Department, the investigation led detectives to 24-year-old Gerard Szczerbinski who received loan documents at his home and arranged for an associate to pick up the car. After being taken into custody by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office on August 14, he was found in possession of keys to a stolen luxury car from North Carolina and may be involved in additional fraudulent purchases.

 

Szczerbinski, of 1503 NW 207th Street, Apartment 236, in Miami Gardens, is charged with one count of Scheme to Defraud, one count of Criminal Use of Personal Identification, and one count of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card. He remains in custody today at the Sarasota County Jail on $150,000 bond while the investigation continues. Anyone with information regarding Szczerbinski or his associates is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Section at 941.861.4925.