Here’s a twist on a case of ID theft:

Officials said too many identity thefts happen because dealers aren’t diligent about checking buyers’ credit records.

“When they sit back and watch a piece of their property walk out the door, we have to go find it. And when we have to go find it, the taxpayers have to pay for that,” said John Brewer, an assistant Harris County district attorney.

Prosecutors said it came to a head last month when Charles Loving, a 19-year-old black cross-dressing man, used a 48-year-old white woman’s identity to purchase a car at Helfman Dodge.

The district attorney said red flags should have gone up immediately. But the finance manager who handled the deal said it was not apparent that Loving was not a man because he was dressed as a woman.

The argument seems to be that the state finds ID theft investigations expensive, so they want find the failed control points and hold them liable.