New York woman charged with forgery, faking car title

A New York woman staying in Chestnuthill Township, has been charged after she fraudulently obtained a Pennsylvania Title for a vehicle.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Detective Robert Sebastianelli of the office of the District Attorney, Monroe County:

In October 2019, another member of the Pennsylvania State police Eastern Auto Theft Task Force Trooper contacted Sebastianelli about an invalid VIN number for a 2018 Chevy Tahoe registered by Tamesha Henderson, 42, in Chestnuthill Township.

The detective obtained copies of the paperwork filed by Henderson to register the 2018 Chevy Tahoe, which she filed in person at PA Tag and Title on July 13.

Henderson obtained her Pennsylvania driver’s license on July 13, at which time she possessed a valid New York state driver’s license showing her address as Brooklyn, New York. Henderson presented a Texas title showing the previous owner of the vehicle was Antanaya Howard from Houston, Texas, and that she purchased the vehicle from her on April 8.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation issued a Pennsylvania title for the vehicle in Henderson’s name on Sept. 23 with a Pennsylvania registration plate, which she signed on Sept. 23.

On Dec. 13, the detective emailed the GM Global Security Lead, to check the VIN number.

The detective emailed the Texas Department of Public Safety Intelligence and Counter Terrorism Division at the Texas Fusion Center. The VIN showed the original owner as Howard with an address of Houston, Texas. No record found for the Texas Title number for the vehicle.

On Jan. 13, the detective contacted Henderson, who said she gave it back to the person she got it from, Antwanette Davis, who lives in Brooklyn. However, the paperwork indicated she bought the vehicle from a family member.

On Jan. 24, the detective contacted Henderson, who admitted she got her PA license because she needed it to register the vehicle.

On Feb. 3, a postal inspector from the Scranton Office of the US Postal Inspection Service indicated that in May of 2018, a Tomeka Dickerson changed her address from Kingwood, Texas, to Houston, Texas.

The inspector said there was no information for Howard receiving mail at the Houston, Texas address, and the only name on file for that address was Dickerson’s. While Henderson used the Shawnee Lane in Blakeslee address when she registered the vehicle in Pennsylvania, she did not fill out a change of address card.

Henderson faces charges of forgery; washing vehicle titles; insurance fraud; tampering with public records or information; tampering with records or identification; and false swearing.

She turned herself in on Wednesday and is free on $5,000 bail.