Image Credit: Knoxville Sheriff’s Department & Tesla Knoxville
Tennessee Conservative News [By Olivia Lupia] –
Two illegal aliens from Virginia were apprehended in Knoxville after attempting to fraudulently purchase a Tesla at a local dealership using sham paperwork and payment accounts.
Kaiheng Ding, 22, and Yaoxu Zhou, 25, both with Virginia addresses, were each charged with two counts of theft of a motor vehicle, computer crime, and identity theft.
According to the Knoxville Police Department (KPD), Property Crimes Detectives learned an individual was attempting to purchase a 2026 Tesla Model S online from a dealership on Montvue Road. During the investigation, detectives learned the account associated with the purchase was linked to prior fraudulent activity and the driver’s license number provided did not match the photo submitted by the buyer for vehicle pickup.
Last Tuesday, Ding and Zhou agreed to pick up the vehicle from the dealership, which costs around $100,000, but Zhou used a fraudulent driver’s license from Delaware to complete the paperwork before obtaining the vehicle key.
Plainclothes officers and Organized Crime Unit members waited on the property then arrested both Zhou and Ding as they exited the dealership without incident. KPD also discovered the duo had driven to Knoxville in a Tesla that had been fraudulently purchased in Maryland and reported stolen.
Inmate records show that both Ding and Zhou had bonds set at over $20,000 are being held with ICE detainers, indicating they are likely in the country illegally.
A third individual with similar charges and in the same age range is being held with an ICE detainer, though he is not reported to be in connection with this specific scenario. 22-year-old Bohua Zheng was booked on charges of computer offenses between $2,500-$10,000 and money laundering the day after Ding and Zhou were arrested.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
