Knoxville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) – Knoxville Police have arrested two men accused of attempting to fraudulently purchase a vehicle from a Tesla dealership in West Knoxville.
According to investigators, property crimes detectives learned on May 21, 2026, that someone was attempting to buy a 2026 Tesla Model S online from the Tesla dealership on Montvue Road. Detectives say the account used for the purchase was linked to previous fraudulent transactions, and the driver’s license number provided did not match the photo submitted for pickup.
Police say 22-year-old Kaiheng Ding and 25-year-old Yaoxu Zhou, both from Virginia, arranged to pick up the vehicle on May 26.
Investigators say Zhou completed the purchase paperwork using a fraudulent Delaware driver’s license and was given a key to the vehicle.
Officers arrested both Zhou and Ding without incident as they exited the dealership.
Further investigation revealed the suspects drove to Knoxville in a Tesla that had been fraudulently purchased in Maryland and reported stolen.
Both men are now charged with two counts of theft of a motor vehicle, as well as computer crime and identity theft.
