Suburban New York Men Accused of Running Rental Car Scheme: Prosecutors Say Three Made Fake Credit Cards, Stole Vehicles, Then Sold Them at Massive Discounts

Three suburban New York men appeared in court on Wednesday who were suspected of running a rental car scheme by using fake credit cards and driver's licenses to rent high-end vehicles at airports that they then sold.

Authorities said they found 10 automobiles involved in the scheme, but they were still in the midst of figuring out just how many cars were a part of the moneymaking plot. Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota reported to the Associated Press that law enforcement officials reckoned a few of the pinched vehicles had been sent to other countries before investigators became aware of the scheme earlier this year.

An undercover detective performed a transaction with the three men, and bought a 2013 Cadillac for around $2,000.

"This scheme illustrates to all of us what is happening today, with not only consumers who use credit cards, but businesses who are accepting credit cards, the dangers that lurk out there," Spota told the court. "Unfortunately for the businesses, it's a tremendously high loss."

The three men were arraigned last week, according to the Associated Press. One of the suspected criminals has been identified as 23-year-old Jason Gonzalez, a resident of Lindenhurst. He was charged with possessing and using equipment to produce fake credit cards and licenses. The prosecution said that the three men made the phony documents in the bedrooms of their suburban houses.

Spota added that the car rental companies didn't find the vehicles until a few weeks after they'd already been sold.

During a news conference, Spota said that investigators are currently running a probe into the scheme, and that more people could have been involved in the plot.