CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A trip to the motorcycle dealership has ended with a duo behind bars on felony charges in Cambria County, state police say.
Rachell Banks, 31, of Maryland, and Monet Cox, 35, of Willow Grove, are accused of trying to buy a 2022 Can-Am Maverick X3 UTV side-by-side worth $32,781 from Cernic’s Cycle World along Belmont Street in Johnstown with a false identity on Wednesday, Jan. 25, according to the charges filed.
Pennsylvania State Police were contacted by the owner who said they learned Banks was using a fake Michigan ID to attempt to purchase the vehicle. The owner said she had to submit a credit application online and the bank discovered it was fake.
The soldiers then went to the dealership on the day Banks was due to come and sign paperwork to complete the purchase. Banks arrived in a blue Ford truck driven by Cox, police said. When Banks signed the papers under his assumed identity name, the soldiers then took her into custody, while Cox, who was still in the truck, was detained for further questioning.
The two were then questioned by the state police at the police station. Banks said Cox picked her up, took her to Cernic and told her to use her assumed identity to buy her shotgun.
Banks told police she thought she was doing Cox a favor, but then “realized it was wrong to sign in someone else’s name,” the complaint read. The soldiers noted in the documents that when they interviewed Cox, she said Banks “was aware” of the fake ID.
Cox told police she bought the fake ID online and that she was the one who arranged to buy the vehicle. According to the allegations filed, Cox said she wanted the vehicle for her own use and that she likely would sell it.
The couple are charged with felony theft and forgery, as well as a misdemeanor charge of tampering with documents or IDs. They were deposited in jail with bail set at 10% of $60,000. Cox posted his bail on Friday, online court documents show.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 8.
