Vehicle stolen from Texas found in Sampson County after DMV deemed title 'suspicious,' sheriff's office says

SALEMBURG, N.C. (WNCN) — A stolen vehicle from Texas was found in Sampson County Wednesday after the unsuspecting new owner was denied registration by the DMV office, leading to an investigation by the Sampson County Sheriff's Office.

According to Sheriff Jimmy Thornton, a resident from Salemburg went to the sheriff's office after the DMV office refused to register a vehicle they bought through Facebook Marketplace."DMV informed the victim that the title for the vehicle looked suspicious and therefore they could not proceed with registration," the sheriff said in a Facebook post.An investigation was opened by detectives with the Criminal Investigations Division.



The sheriff's post said over seven different agencies in North Carolina and Texas were contacted within two hours, leading to the discovery that the Chevrolet truck was stolen earlier this month in Dallas, Texas.The Sampson County sheriff said this truck was stolen in Texas before being bought but an unsuspecting Sampson County resident. (Sampson County Sheriff's Office)The Sampson County sheriff said this truck was stolen in Texas before being bought but an unsuspecting Sampson County resident.

(Sampson County Sheriff's Office)According to the sheriff, detectives found errors in the title that "led them to believe that the vehicle may have been altered prior to being purchased." They also discovered that the vehicle identification number, commonly known as the VIN, "displayed on the vehicle was actually registered in Mississippi."The sheriff described the vehicle as "cloned," a type of scam making the rounds.

"This is a new, alarming practice where criminals will steal vehicles and change the VINs, stickers and keys to make a person think they are buying a good vehicle, when it is actually stole," the sheriff's Facebook post said.The unsuspecting victim paid over $20,000 for the truck and the transaction took place in Georgia, the sheriff said. The Sampson County sheriff said his detectives are continuing to work with investigators in both Texas and Georgia to find a suspect.

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