A 35-year-old Methuen man was taken into custody Wednesday after New Hampshire State Police said he was allegedly attempting to submit fraudulent documents to obtain a New Hampshire motor vehicle title.
Joel Panigua was charged with two counts of tampering with public records and unsworn falsification. He will be arraigned in the Ninth Circuit Court – District Division – Manchester on June 12, according to a press release.
Members of New Hampshire State Police Troop G were reportedly conducting salvage inspections at the Division of Motor Vehicles in Manchester when troopers were made aware of the alleged fraud.
A salvage inspection is conducted on vehicles that have been classified as a total loss by an insurance company and have subsequently been repaired. Upon completion of such inspection, a decal is affixed to the vehicle indicating it is salvaged, and a new title is issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles.