NEW HAVEN, CT — Stephanie Perez, a 40-year-old resident of Bridgeport, has been sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for her involvement in a multi-state identity and vehicle theft operation that defrauded individuals and businesses of over $1 million. The sentencing, delivered by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven, also includes three years of supervised release following her imprisonment.
Beginning in September 2020, Perez’s husband, Tyshon Walker, orchestrated a scheme using stolen personal information to fraudulently secure loans for luxury vehicles, motorcycles, an all-terrain vehicle, and a boat from dealerships across Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Rhode Island. These vehicles were subsequently resold on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace.
Perez played a pivotal role by selecting and compensating individuals, referred to as “runners,” who retrieved the vehicles using falsified driver’s licenses. Notably, after the arrest of two runners, Perez recruited and supervised Ryan Testa of Bristol, who, under her direction between March and May 2023, acquired at least nine vehicles valued at over $500,000.
Perez was arrested on April 10, 2024, and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud on December 6, 2024. Her father, Elvis Perez, also participated in the scheme and was sentenced to 60 months in prison in December 2024. Walker and Testa have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, and law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Heather M. Cherry are prosecuting the case.
