The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office arrested a ‘Catch Me If You Can’ imitator in Florida with fake IDs and stolen cheques.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) reported about a stolen gray Nissan Rogue with a New York tag on Palm Coast Parkway in Palm Coast, Florida on 9th of July, 2021. Both the vehicle and the plate were reported stolen from New York car dealerships.

Deputies sat out the car after discovering it was left unattended at a local eatery on Boulder Rock Drive. They subsequently spotted a guy and girl approaching it. The occupants were approached, and the guy could not be recognized during questioning owing to his lack of cooperation and giving a fake name. The participants said they were on their way to an Orlando resort for a vacation.

The man informed investigators he had misplaced his driver’s license and had a piece of paper with his details in the car. John Desernio was the name on the document. The FCSO got a photo of Desernio’s New York driver’s license, which did not match the subject’s physique. Deputies notified him, but he declined to offer any more information regarding his identification.

He was eventually recognized as Joseph Borelli, 48, and it was discovered that he was wanted for burglary in New York.

The police also discovered that he has used several names such as Joseph Borello, John Doe, John Borello, and John Keith to identify himself and also had several security numbers linked to the fake names.

The dealerships in New York where the car and tag were reported stolen were contacted by deputies. According to one dealership’s owner, a person stole the car on a test drive. The tag was taken off a new car, according to the sales manager at the other shop.

During a vehicle search, officers discovered hundreds of hotel cards and 13 counterfeit checks worth between $50 and $9,000, totalling over $20,000 in fraudulent checks. The company mentioned on the checks admitted they were stolen, stating that a van with a significant quantity of blank checks was taken from the company in April 2021. Borelli had a stack of checks in the recovered stolen car, and one of them was a $175 check written to a specific vendor.

The female subject turned out to be unaware of the vehicle and tag being stolen, so was released by the police.

Sheriff Rick Staly stated: “This guy thinks he’s a real Frank Abagnale of ‘Catch Me If You Can’ impersonator with all his alias’ and blank checks. But unlike Abagnale, he made the mistake of stopping in Flagler County and was immediately caught! Our Real Time Crime Center team and deputies did a great job investigating and arresting this criminal. He never made it to the Orlando resort but he did make it to the Green Roof Inn.”

Joseph Borelli was apprehended and sent to the Sheriff’s Perry Hall Inmate Detention Center. Fugitive From Justice, Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle, Petit Theft, Giving a False Name to Law Enforcement, and Possession of Forged Notes, Checks, or Bills are among the charges he faces. He is not being detained on any kind of bail.