KNOXVILLE — Two men with Virginia addresses were arrested in Knoxville on Tuesday after attempting to fraudulently purchase a $100,000 Tesla Model S using fake identification, the Knoxville Police Department (KPD) said. Officers apprehended Kaiheng Ding, 22, and Yaoxu Zhou, 25, as they exited the Tesla dealership on Montvue Road near West Town Mall without incident.

KPD property crimes detectives had learned on Thursday that someone was attempting to buy a 2026 Tesla Model S online from the dealership. During their investigation, detectives discovered the account used for the purchase was tied to prior fraudulent transactions. The driver’s license number provided during the transaction did not match the photo submitted by the buyer for vehicle pickup.

On Tuesday, Ding and Zhou arrived at the dealership to collect the vehicle. Zhou completed purchase paperwork using a fraudulent Delaware driver’s license and obtained a key to the new Tesla. Plainclothes KPD personnel and members of the KPD Organized Crime Unit were present during the attempted pickup and made the arrests.

Authorities allege that Ding and Zhou drove to Knoxville in a white Tesla that had been fraudulently purchased in Montgomery County, Maryland, and reported stolen. Each man now faces two counts of theft of a motor vehicle, computer crime, and identity theft. Knox County jail records show both were being held Wednesday with an immigration hold from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).