Lincoln man swapped out VIN plate before selling stolen vehicle, court docs say

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Police say a Lincoln man sold a stolen vehicle — and went to great lengths to cover his tracks.

Viktor Popov, 35, appeared in court Monday on two charges: theft by deception and certificate of title violations.

A judge set his bond at $15,000, and Popov paid $1,500 to be released.

Court documents say police caught on to Popov in June, when an SUV was being serviced at Anderson Ford near 27th Street and Interstate 80.

A technician discovered that the vehicle identification number on the dashboard did not match the VIN that was printed elsewhere on the vehicle, police said.

Investigators found that the VIN plate on the dash was glued on, which is not how auto manufacturers attach it.

It turned out the vehicle — which was thought to be a 2016 Ford Explorer — was actually a 2019 Explorer that was stolen in July 2023, according to an arrest affidavit.

The person who brought the SUV to the auto shop told police that Popov sold it to him for $10,000.

Police said Popov told the buyer that the SUV was a 2016 Explorer.

And the VIN plate on the dash matched a 2016 Explorer that Popov had owned since 2018, so the sale went through.

Popov also lied about the vehicle’s mileage, lowering the odometer reading by at least 7,900 miles, according to the affidavit.

The Explorer was returned to the woman it was stolen from, and police said the man who bought it did not recover his $10,000.

A warrant was issued for Popov’s arrest on Thursday, and he was taken into custody on Friday.

He is due back in court on Nov. 26.