DATE: Wednesday, March 5, 1997              TAG: 9703050497

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B12  EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 

DATELINE: TOWSON, MD.                       LENGTH:   31 lines

POLICE ARREST MAN THEY SAY POSED AS WILDER'S SON

Baltimore County police Tuesday charged a local man with fraud for posing as former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder's son in order to lease a car.

Eric Dashawn Faulkner, 29, leased an $18,454 Toyota Avalon from Jerry's Toyota in Parkville on Feb. 20 after Faulkner claimed he was Wilder's son, said police spokesman Bill Toohey.

The dealer gave him the car with no valid identification, Toohey said.

After he drove away, the dealership started checking his credentials and discovered that the man was not the governor's son, Toohey said.

The dealership's manager declined to comment Tuesday.

Faulkner called the dealership back saying his father was ill and would not be able to cover the lease payments and that he would return the car, Toohey said.

When he did Monday, he was arrested.

He had no identification and police determined his identity from his fingerprints. Faulkner was charged with fraud, possession of stolen property - a checkbook - and forging a check, Toohey said. He was being held Tuesday $15,000 on bail. Police were investigating to see if Faulkner was involved in several other fraud complaints, Toohey said.

Wilder has three children - Lynn, Loren and Lawrence. KEYWORDS: FORGERY FRAUD

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu