An Egg Harbor Township man is accused of using another man's identity to finance a car that he then abandoned in Pleasantville.
Thomas Giannini, 52, allegedly went to the township's Boardwalk Acura, where he financed a Mercedes Benz.
But the approximately $27,000 Bank of America loan approval was not to Giannini.
Instead it was a Maryland man, who called up the dealership right after his bank called him about the loan, according to information read during Giannini's detention hearing Friday.
The dealership then received a copy of the man's real driver's license, which included a different photo.
The car was found abandoned in Pleasantville, but police had the suspect's photo — courtesy of the altered driver's license.
Giannini was arrested days later.
He claims that someone came to his place of work with the documents, and "threatened his family if he did not do these actions," defense attorney Maya Rex told the judge, according to conversations she had with her client.
Giannini has pending cases in both Atlantic and Ocean counties, Assistant Prosecutor Paige Cramer told the judge in arguing for his detention.
The public safety assessment — used to help determine whether an inmate is held under bail reform — scored him a five out of six for both failure to appear and safety risk.
He has failed to appear in court five times in the past two years, Cramer told the judge.
Rex said that her client, who she said is a mechanic, was having issues with his truck, which made it difficult for him to get to court in Ocean County.
The public safety assessment did recommend he be released.
Judge Jeffrey Waldman agreed, opting to put him on home detention.
