Fake IDs didn’t fool a California car dealership when three men allegedly conspired to fraudulently purchase a $68,000 Corvette last month.

Police say the scheme began when Raymondo Cox, 48, of Woodland Hills used a fraudulent ID card and stolen Social Security number to apply online with a Thousand Oaks car dealership.
When he scheduled an appointment to finalize the purchase of the Corvette on Sept. 23, deputies from the Thousand Oaks Police Station and detectives with the East County Investigations Bureau were ready and waiting.

Authorities say Cox signed paperwork using another person’s ID to try and complete the transaction, but he was taken into custody before the deal could be finalized.

Cox had arrived at the dealership with two other men, 32-year-old Ricky Perez of Winnetka and 41-year-old Vincent Venerable of Lancaster, who police say were also carrying false identification and were co-conspirators with Cox in the attempted theft.

All three men were arrested, with bail set at $200,000. Cox faces multiple felonies – attempted Grand Theft Auto, identity theft, conspiracy, forgery, and attempted vehicle theft. Perez and Venerable face similar charges of conspiracy, forgery, and attempted Grand Theft Auto.

The East County Investigations Bureau reminds residents to remain alert and report suspicious people or vehicles with a call to 911 or the non-emergency line at (805) 654-9511.