WASHINGTON — Montgomery County police have arrested a man who they say used counterfeit cashier’s checks to buy used cars, then sold the stolen vehicles to unsuspecting buyers.
Authorities also want to know if anyone else might have been a victim of the alleged scammer.
Nicholas Metz, 33, of Jessup, Maryland, has been charged with three counts of the unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, forgery and other related offenses. He is currently being held in Howard County over similar crimes, police said.
According to authorities, Metz stole a 2008 Mercury Mariner and 2000 Ford Explorer Aug. 11 from a seller who had advertised them over the 5miles mobile app. They say Metz gave the alleged victim a cashier’s check in return for the title and keys.
Later, after being told at a bank that the check was fraudulent, the victim called Metz, who agreed to meet the victim in Baltimore and pay cash. He never showed up. Both vehicles have since been recovered.
In another incident, authorities say, Metz used another counterfeit cashier’s check Dec. 20 to buy a used 2016 Toyota Corolla that was being advertised on Craigslist. During that transaction in a Burtonsville park, Metz reportedly gave the seller a cashier’s check. The seller told Metz that he was calling the bank to ensure that the cashier’s check was valid, police said.
Metz allegedly asked if he could test-drive the vehicle, and the seller agreed. The suspect then drove the Corolla out of the park, police said, while two vehicles that had accompanied him into the park blocked the park’s exit, preventing the seller from following Metz.
Detectives determined that Metz had later sold that Corolla to an Anne Arundel County resident. Anne Arundel police recovered the stolen Corolla.
Detectives urge anyone with information on the case — or anyone believing they were the victim of a fraudulent sale by the suspect — to call 240-773-6370.
Police offer the following tips for buyers and sellers who engage in private-party vehicle sales:
- Ask the buyer or seller to meet you at a local police station for the initial test drive.
- Do not allow a potential buyer to test-drive the vehicle with the title in their possession.
- Ask for the seller’s/buyer’s driver’s license and take a picture of it.
- Buyers should ask to inspect the registration and title for the vehicle. Ensure that the name on both documents is the seller’s name and that there are no current lien holders on the title.
- Accompany the buyer to the bank and have the buyer obtain a cashier’s check in your presence. Buyers and sellers can conduct the final sale of the vehicle, sign all paperwork (to include the bill of sale and title transfer) while inside of the bank.
- Walk away from a sale if either party is trying to rush the transaction.
