Rich kid, 24, scams $2.3 million from would-be Ferrari Monza buyers
Published on Sep 18, 2023 at 3:15 PM (UTC+4)
by Kate Bain
Last updated on Sep 19, 2023 at 2:22 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
This 24-year-old pulled off an elaborate scam, fleecing millions of dollars from would-be Ferrari Monza buyers.
Despite being in his early 20s, Daniel Lesin weaseled his way into the lives of some of America’s richest people.
He successfully cemented himself in the New York supercar scene, telling people he was the son of a billionaire Russian oligarch.
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He would turn up to supercar meets in New York and New Jersey in a new supercar each time, including a Ferrari F12df, Ferrari 458 Speciale, Lamborghini Murcielago SV, and a Porsche 918.
Despite his young age, he became a fixture on the scene and became well-known for his car collection and connection to big brands like Ferrari.
Lesin claimed he and his family owned more than 75 Ferraris and were very special clients of the brand.
This was where it all started to crumble for the 24-year-old.
When Ferrari announced its limited-edition Monza SP1 and SP2, it reserved allocations for only its most loyal clients.
Lesin claimed he was given a few allocations for the sought-after Ferrari Monza, and was willing to pass them along to others in exchange for big cash payments, The Drive reported.
Ferrari famously doesn’t approve of this, so if it happens, it’s done extremely quietly.
So, in hush-hush deals with Ferrari enthusiasts who were prepared to pay a lot of money, Lesin sold his allocations.
The problem was, Lesin didn’t have any allocations for the Monza at all.
Instead, he created fake documents to support his claims.
When the authorities got wind of this, it marked the beginning of a huge FBI investigation.
Lesin was ultimately arrested on June 2, 2022 on allegations of wire fraud.
Lesin ultimately pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 45 months in prison.
He was also forced to hand over a couple of luxury watches and almost $2.3 million in cash.
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Kate Bain is the Page Editor at supercarblondie.com. She is based in Dubai and coordinates coverage of the latest news across automotive, technology, and lifestyle. Kate has a bachelor's degree in business and post graduate in journalism. She is an experienced editor and journalist who has worked for News Corp, Daily Mail Australia, and Sky News. When she's not at work, you'll find her attached at the hip to her dog, Thor.
