Phoenix man accused in 'elaborate vehicle fraud scheme' using Turo car, police say
Police in California arrested an Arizona man on suspicion of renting a car and selling it to a woman for $23K in cash, warning he and another man were engaged in an "elaborate vehicle fraud scheme."
The Corona Police Department posted a summary of the incident on social media, saying both men have a history of similar crimes, and "it is likely there are additional victims."
The car seller had been able to rent from the online car-sharing company Turo despite an active warrant for conspiracy and auto theft, police stated. A woman responded to an ad for the car on Craigslist, receiving a title and registration from the man. The documents were forged, the woman later learned.
The woman contacted police, and they found another ad online, according to Fox 11 in Los Angeles.
Corona police said that investigators with the department arranged a meeting on Feb. 26 with the suspected seller, who soon showed up in a different vehicle he had planned to "fraudulently sell."
Sebastian Flores was arrested without incident. At the same time, police stopped another man, Lasso Floris, at the scene who they believed had arrived with Flores and found he had a felony warrant for trafficking stolen vehicles, police said.
Police booked both men into jail. The post did not explain whether Floris had any connection to the sale of the Turo vehicle.
Flores and Floris reportedly have addresses in the Phoenix area but have ties to southern California, police said. Online court sites in Maricopa and Pima counties did not show criminal histories for the men.
The Corona Police Department did not respond to messages seeking further information, as of Tuesday afternoon.
When contacted Tuesday evening, a Turo spokesperson said the men were not Turo customers but that they were aware of the incident.
Selling rented cars has become easier for criminals who know how to use technology. Last year, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department arrested three men on suspicion of an even more elaborate scheme. The group rented vehicles from an online rental service, advertised them for sale on Facebook Marketplace, sold them for cash, then stole them back and returned them to the rental host.
Other vehicles rented from Turo were previously in the news in separate incidents in New Orleans and Las Vegas on Jan. 1. Early that morning, an armed man in New Orleans drove a Ford F-150 he rented off Turo into a crowd celebrating hours after 2025 was rung in, killing 15 and injuring dozens.
Late that same morning, a man rigged a Turo rented Tesla Cybertruck to explode outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, killing himself and injuring several bystanders.
Turo incidents have also happened in the Valley. On Feb. 1, three men were briefly held at gunpoint by Glendale police after the Turo vehicle they rented turned out to be stolen.
Reach the reporter at rstern@arizonarepublic.com or 480-276-3237. Follow him on X @raystern.
Arizona Republic reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix man arrested after trying to 'fraudulently sell' Turo vehicle
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