Woman Buys $88K Cadillac Using Dead Father’s Identity, But She Doesn’t Keep It For Long

Image Credit: NY Detective / YouTube.

A woman accused of using her deceased father’s identity to finance a Cadillac worth more than $88,000 faced deputies at her home after a lender discovered that the vehicle loan had been opened eight days after his death.

The woman’s father died on August 15, 2025. According to a bodycam video published by NYDETECTIVE on September 23, 2026, financing paperwork was submitted through Jack Hanania Chevrolet on August 23.

Deputies arrived at the woman’s residence on October 25, 2025, to recover the Cadillac. During the encounter, she insisted that she had legally obtained the vehicle using power of attorney and maintained that the car was not stolen.

The investigation ultimately led to multiple felony charges. NYDETECTIVE reported that the woman later pleaded no contest and received 12 months of reporting probation and 25 hours of community service. Guessing Headlights was unable to find the arrest affidavit, so we couldn’t confirm what happened after this video.

But most of us can assume that you’re gonna get in some sort of trouble for doing this at a dealership. 

Cadillac Loan Questioned

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The investigation began after Community First received information suggesting that a deceased customer’s identity had been used to obtain a vehicle.

A lender representative explained that the dealership had submitted the financing application electronically. The lender approved the loan without requiring the customer to visit a branch.

The representative identified August 23 as the account-opening date, eight days after the father’s death.

When deputies approached the residence, the woman initially disputed their decision to take the vehicle. She eventually agreed to speak with a deputy after being advised of her Miranda rights.

Woman Defends Purchase

During questioning, the woman claimed she had received power of attorney before her father’s death and had traded in his previous vehicle toward the Cadillac.

She also maintained that she had completed the purchase before he died, although she could not provide an exact date.

The deputy questioned that timeline after reviewing the lender’s records.

The woman acknowledged that she had signed her father’s name on the dealership paperwork. She claimed the dealership had instructed her to do so.

She described a financing arrangement involving approximately $95,000 and monthly payments of $1,500. She said she had not made a payment because the lender had allowed three months before the first installment.

Deputies Seize Cadillac

The woman also claimed that she had attempted to settle the debt by sending the lender a remittance letter. She believed the lender’s objections had prompted the fraud complaint.

Deputies nevertheless seized the Cadillac and placed it on an evidence hold. The woman was told she could not retrieve belongings from the vehicle, including a child’s car seat.

According to the video’s closing narration, deputies subsequently contacted the dealership and confirmed that the paperwork bore her father’s signature.

Dealership surveillance footage reportedly showed the woman there on August 23, 2025, after her father’s death.

She was later arrested on charges of identity fraud, grand theft, uttering a forged instrument, and obtaining a vehicle by false representation.

NYDETECTIVE reported that she pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 12 months of reporting probation and 25 hours of community service.

Author: Olivia Richman

Olivia Richman has been a journalist for 10 years, specializing in esports, games, cars, and all things tech. When she isn’t writing nerdy stuff, Olivia is taking her cars to the track, eating pho, and playing the Pokemon TCG.

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