Lei Zhou has been sentenced to 42 months in federal prison after using stolen personal information and a forged check to acquire a 2021 Chevrolet Corvette. Federal prosecutors say the transaction was part of a broader scheme involving at least six luxury vehicles purchased or leased through a dealership in Greenwich, Connecticut.

The vehicles were collectively valued at more than $650,000. Zhou, 43, of Flushing, New York, used stolen or counterfeit identification documents and financial information belonging to other people, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.

Corvette purchase used stolen identity

On October 4, 2022, Zhou allegedly used one victim’s identity to secure $114,175.31 in financing for the Corvette. He also provided a forged $14,000 check made out in another victim’s name for the down payment.

After taking possession of the Chevrolet, Zhou transported it to New York with the stated aim of reselling it. The source does not identify the dealership or disclose the makes and models of the other vehicles involved in the case.

Most of the vehicles were repossessed before they could be sold, according to the Attorney’s Office. The case nevertheless involved multiple victims whose personal and financial information was used to support the fraudulent purchases.

Guilty plea and sentence

Zhou had been detained since his arrest in August 2024. In May, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, along with aggravated identity theft.

His 42-month sentence was imposed on Wednesday. The case records the Corvette transaction as one example of a larger fraud operation rather than an isolated vehicle theft, with the financing applications, identity documents and counterfeit payment creating a trail that ultimately led to prosecution.