A New York man has been arrested in Southington, Connecticut, for allegedly scamming a buyer out of a vehicle he fraudulently sold—then later stole back.
Juan Medina, 41, of the Bronx, was taken into custody this week immediately after being released from a New York jail. He now faces approximately nine charges, including fugitive from justice, second-degree larceny, forgery, telephone fraud, and criminal impersonation.
The case dates back to December 2022, when a Southington resident reported buying a 2019 Toyota Highlander through Facebook Marketplace. After exchanging messages, the buyer met with the seller in person and handed over a large sum of cash. In return, they received a fraudulent driver’s license, a fake vehicle title, and only one key.
Soon after bringing the SUV home and parking it in their driveway, the buyer discovered it had been stolen—by the seller.
Over the following months, Southington police worked with agencies in New York, New Jersey, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau to investigate. In January 2023, the stolen Highlander resurfaced at the Wethersfield DMV, when another person tried to register it and found out it had altered VIN tags and had been reported stolen out of New York.
Police eventually identified Medina as the suspect and obtained a warrant for his arrest. He was already incarcerated in New York for unrelated charges.
On June 23, upon his release, Medina was transported to Southington Police Headquarters, where he was booked and charged. He was arraigned the next day and is being held on a $375,000 bond.
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