Hunter
03/23/20
An Iowa City transient is in custody after allegedly being found with a stolen vehicle.
Police say that they observed 25-year-old Yassine Assem operating a Nissan Altima Sunday at 6:30pm in the area of Apollo Place. A check of the vehicle records showed that it has been reported stolen by the owner.
Assem reportedly had the victim’s student ID, Social Security card and insurance card in his possession. When asked about how he came to obtain the Nissan, Assem reportedly said that he borrowed it from a friend, but admitted being suspicous that the vehicle may have been stolen.
Assem allegedly confirmed to officers that he did not have consent from the vehicle owner to operate it.
A check of his records found that a warrant had been issued for Assem’s arrest after he failed to return to Hope House on February 11th. He also had an outstanding warrant from an incident this past July when he gained access to someone’s bank account and linked it to his own, transferring funds from the victim’s account to his own in two transactions while using the victim’s identity information. He was charged with 2nd degree Theft and identity theft, both Class D felonies.
He was taken into custody and charged with 2nd degree Theft, a Class D Felony, and Voluntarily Absence from Custody, a serious misdemeanor. If convicted on all charges, Assem could be sentenced to a prison term of up to sixteen years.
