Blake Ellis/Local Journalism Initiative

A 42 year-old North York woman walked into Sarnia’s BMW dealership on May 20, 2020, but instead of driving away with a new vehicle, she was arrested. 

Jill Zenchyshyn sent the dealership’s sales manager an email asking for a quote on a new vehicle and application for financing. But she used another woman’s identification for the credit application. 

The bank contacted the woman saying her identification and credit was being used to apply for financing at the dealership. The woman then contacted the sales manager. He had already figured out this was a fraud. But the financing had already been approved and the pick up of the vehicle was planned for May 20.

A Sarnia police officer acted as a car salesman when Zenchyshyn came into the dealership. She signed for the $102,000 vehicle and was immediately arrested.

She plead guilty on Feb. 28 in Sarnia court to fraud over $5,000 and possessing another person’s information to commit an offence. A fraudulent health card and driver’s license was found on her when she was arrested, as well as a certificate of Canadian citizenship. 

 “These types of crimes the court is starting to see on a more frequent basis,” said Assistant Crown Attorney Aniko Coughlan.

Zenchyshyn’s lawyer, David Stoesser says she knew what she was doing was wrong, but she was approached by people “far more sophisticated than her” and was talked into the scheme. Stoessner says Zenchyshyn is “generally homeless,” with no ties to Sarnia. She would have difficulty knowing how to buy a car, let alone one that expensive, he said. 

Justice Deborah Austin was asked to consider a suspended sentence with two years of probation – something she questioned.

Zenchyshyn returns to court May 10 for sentencing.