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Worcester County resident Brandon Brouillard, age 28, of Worcester, made the plea on Thursday, April 8, said the US Attorney’s Office District of Massachusetts.
According to court documents, in February 2021, Brouillard used the identity of a New Hampshire resident to open a bank account at Avidia Bank by wiring $108,000 from another individual’s Bank of America account.
Brouillard also fraudulently obtained a New Hampshire driver’s license in the name of a New Hampshire resident, which he used to attempt to obtain a car loan from Capital One, the US Attorney's Office said.
In April 2021, Brouillard test drove a 2021 Chevrolet Camaro at a dealership in Norwood. After test-driving the Camaro, Brouillard agreed to purchase the sports car for $83,000 and paid for the vehicle with a cashier’s check made out to the dealership, the DA's Office said.
Brouillard provided his Massachusetts driver’s license, proof of insurance, signed sales contract, Massachusetts application for registration, and car title in connection with the purchase, they added.
Days later Brouillard picked up the Camaro from the dealership. Shortly after, the dealership learned that the account listed on the bank check provided by Brouillard was frozen. The dealership contacted Brouillard, who promised that he would wire $83,000 to pay for the car, the US Attorney's Office said.
In April 2021, an Arizona resident contacted local police and reported an attempted fraudulent wire transfer of $83,000 from the victim’s bank account. The victim reported that a fraudulent email purportedly from the victim was sent to the bank, requesting a wire transfer of $83,000 to pay for the victim’s “brother-in-law’s car,” court documents show.
The bank contacted the victim for verification, and the victim did not approve the transfer. Starting in or about September 2020, the victim’s accounts were compromised, and large fraudulent purchases were made and shipped to Brouillard’s address. It is estimated that $500,000 of the victim’s funds were stolen, the US Attorney's Office said.
Brouillard was indicted in June 2021.
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