A 41-year-old man from the Bronx, New York, has been arrested in connection with a stolen vehicle scheme involving altered vehicle identification numbers (VINs) and fraudulent documents.
Juan Medina was taken into custody on June 23 following a lengthy investigation into a 2022 vehicle theft. He faces nine charges, including:
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Fugitive from justice
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Second-degree larceny
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Second-degree forgery
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Second-degree telephone fraud
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Criminal impersonation
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Changing a motor vehicle VIN
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Violating title laws with forged or altered documents
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Selling a motor vehicle without a proper VIN
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Misuse of registration
Medina is currently being held on a $375,000 bond.
The case began on December 23, 2022, when a victim reported purchasing a 2019 Toyota Highlander through Facebook Marketplace. The buyer had communicated with the seller via Facebook Messenger and text, then met in person to complete the cash transaction. The seller provided fraudulent identification, a fake vehicle title, and only one key—promising to mail the second later.
Shortly after the purchase, the vehicle was stolen from the victim’s driveway.
Investigators from the Southington Police Department, along with multiple agencies across Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, as well as the National Insurance Crime Bureau, spent months executing search warrants and tracking leads.
The stolen Highlander was eventually recovered in January 2023 at the Wethersfield DMV, after another victim attempted to register it. Investigators discovered that the VIN tags had been tampered with and confirmed the vehicle had been stolen from New York.
An arrest warrant was issued in early 2023 charging Medina with direct involvement. At the time, he was incarcerated in New York for unrelated offenses. Following his release, Medina was transported to Southington Police Headquarters, processed, and then taken to New Britain Superior Court for arraignment on June 24.
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