An Iowa City man has been accused of stealing a car and transferring money to his own account by using another person’s identity. 

Yassine Assem, 25, was charged March 22 with two counts of second-degree theft, identity theft, and voluntary absence/escape, in addition to probation violations for forgery, second-degree theft, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance. 

According to the arrest affidavit, Assem was seen operating a blue Nissan Altima that was confirmed stolen and had an estimated value of $8,000. Assem was in possession of the victim’s student ID, Social Security card, and insurance card. Assem stated that he borrowed the vehicle from a friend but admitted to not having consent from the registered owner to operate. 

Additionally, the affidavit said, Assem gained access to the victim’s online bank account and linked it to his own as an external account. He transferred funds from the victim’s account to his own in two transactions that totaled $1,826 by using the victim’s identity information. 

Second-degree theft and identity theft are both Class-D felonies.