TRENTON – Three New Jersey men are among nine people accused of getting digital driver’s licenses using stolen identities, which authorities say were used in a scam to buy and finance over $1.3 million in vehicles and watercrafts at dealerships in New Jersey and four other states.

Ricardo Acevedo, 50, of Paterson, 39-year-old Willie Samuel-Baldayaquez, of Newark, and 33-year-old Reyfy Gonzalez, of Cliffside Park, are charged with second-degree conspiracy, among other counts, Acting Attorney General Andrew Bruck announced on Monday.

All were indicted by a grand jury.

The group secured New Jersey digital driver’s licenses from the Jersey City and North Bergen Motor Vehicle Commission sites, according to prosecutors, using stolen identities of U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico and fake Puerto Rico driver’s licenses — as well as other forged documents, including Social Security cards, debit cards and birth certificates.

From February 2017 through March 2019, the group bought, financed, titled or transferred 26 motor vehicles and three watercrafts with trailers — one boat and two jet skis — using those licenses and identities and credit of victims in Puerto Rico, according to Bruck.

The purchases were made at dealerships in Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, Morris, Union, Essex, Hudson, Bergen and Gloucester counties — as well as in Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts, according to the indictment.

Ten vehicles were recovered in the U.S., but others were shipped out of the country, including seven shipped to the Dominican Republic.

After buying a vehicle on credit, the members of the group “washed” its title, by creating a false lien release or phony title indicating there was no lien on the vehicle, prosecutors said.

The fake document was used to obtain a clean title in another state, used to transfer ownership to another individual, often within the conspiracy, allowing the vehicle to be shipped overseas.

Acevedo is additionally charged with second-degree counts of use of personal identifying information of another, impersonation and theft by deception, plus seven counts of third-degree tampering with public records or information.

Samuel-Baldayaquez also faces a second-degree count of use of personal identifying information of another and five counts of third-degree tampering with public records.

Gonzalez additionally is charged with second-degree receiving stolen property and two counts of third-degree tampering with public records or information.

The following people also have been indicted:

Taina G. Perez, 28, of Methuen, Massachusetts

Second-degree counts of conspiracy, use of personal identifying information of another, impersonation and theft by deception, as well as nine counts of third-degree tampering with public records or information.

Jose M. Irizarry, 45, of New Haven, Connecticut

Second-degree counts of conspiracy, use of personal identifying information of another, impersonation and theft by deception, as well as five counts of third-degree tampering with public records or information.

Andy A. Mazara, 28, of Lawrence, Massachusetts

Second-degree counts of conspiracy, use of personal identifying information of another, impersonation and theft by deception, as well as seven counts of third-degree tampering with public records or information.

Tirson Ruiz, 51, of Lawrence, Massachusetts

Second-degree counts of conspiracy, use of personal identifying information of another and impersonation. Ruiz also is charged with third-degree theft by deception and four counts of tampering with public records or information.

Alvaro J. Alvarez-Capio, 46, of Lowell, Massachusetts

Second-degree counts of conspiracy, use of personal identifying information of another and impersonation. Ruiz also is charged with third-degree theft by deception and eight counts of tampering with public records or information.

Guillermo Alex Cruz-Guerrero, 43, of Ohio

Second-degree counts of conspiracy and fencing and two counts of third-degree tampering with public records.

Irizarry and Acevedo are in federal custody in Massachusetts.

Mazara, Samuel-Baldayaquez and Cruz-Guerrero are in federal custody in Ohio.

Ruiz was previously deported.

The remaining defendants have been released from custody.

“By diligently investigating cases of document fraud related to New Jersey digital driver’s licenses, we frequently uncover larger criminal schemes involving identity theft and financial fraud,” Bruck said in a written statement.

“In this case, we collaborated with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and federal law enforcement partners to bring these defendants to justice, pursuing evidence across five states and even overseas.”

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