Category Archives: Midwest

Tip leads investigators to stolen vehicles in suspected chop shop in Independence

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Emily Rittman/KCTV5 A number of stolen vehicles were found inside a suspected ‘chop shop’ in Independence. When officers inspected a storage lot, they found dismantled vehicles with VIN numbers missing. Among them was the truck that belonged to Brian Sollars, who posted a picture of his stolen 2012 GMC online on the Stolen KC Facebook page. Sollars said a stranger reached out to him shortly after, providing details about the truck. “He said he knew where my truck was and described it perfectly,” Sollars said. “He asked me if I had a pen and paper and told me to write it down. I thought he was full of it at first.” The address was for a storage lot off Atherton Road near 24 Highway in Independence. Sollars reported the tip to investigators who got permission to inspect the property. Inside there was a stolen tow dolly and a stolen John Deer gator. Outside, there was a stolen Kawasaki motorcycle, a stolen F350 truck, two stolen Dodge trucks and a stolen Harley Davidson tricycle bike. Randall Bennett III, the man who was subleasing the lot, is charged with operating an auto salvage business without a license. More charges are possible. Original Article: https://www.kctv5.com/news/tip-leads-investigators-to-stolen-vehicles-in-suspected-chop-shop/article_275d8e36-77c8-5c2f-9f50-6ac709ded15e.html

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Department of Revenue CIB Agents Assist in Joint Task Force Operation

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JEFFERSON CITY — Special Agents Doug Scotten and Mike Fryer, of the Missouri Department of Revenue’s Compliance and Investigation Bureau (CIB), recently assisted the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) in Operation Clean Sweep. The operation’s purpose was to identify salvage operations in the Kansas City metropolitan area, ensure compliance with Missouri salvage laws and locate stolen vehicles. Operation Clean Sweep took place over the course of two days in mid-May. During that time, the task force identified an unlicensed salvage operation and a large, illegal “chop shop” operation. The task force also checked the accuracy of 898 vehicle identification numbers, visited approximately 23 salvage and body shop businesses being checked for compliance, and recovered 12 stolen vehicles, two stolen trailers and one stolen piece of equipment. “The general purpose of investigations like Operation Clean Sweep is to ensure businesses are in compliance with Missouri’s salvage licensure laws, as well as sales tax and titling laws related to motor vehicles,” said CIB Investigation Manager Nick Humphrey. “As part of Operation Clean Sweep, DOR investigators provided their expertise in checking the validity of vehicle identification numbers, business record requirements, odometer tampering and vehicle title tampering.” Led by Corporal C N Bradley of the MSHP, the joint task force responsible for carrying out Operation Clean Sweep consisted of Agents Scotten and Fryer, MSHP motor vehicle inspectors, officers from the Kansas City Missouri Police Department, a special agent from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and an agent from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. “Most businesses in Missouri do a fantastic job fulfilling their licensure requirements. Unfortunately, a few do not. That’s where our CIB agents come in,” said Department Director Joel Walters. “It is the hope of our investigators, and the Department, that by reducing the outlet for stolen vehicles and vehicle parts, … Continue Reading

Fennville couple accused of vehicle fraud

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A Montcalm County man is suing a Fennville couple for allegedly selling him a pickup truck that had nearly 150,000 more miles on it than its odometer showed. Anthony Woldring Roberts and his wife, Ashley Roberts, are accused of violating the Federal Odometer Act, fraud and reselling vehicles without a dealer license through their business, A&A Quality Services. In the federal lawsuit filed in Grand Rapids Tuesday, lawyers for Jarred Stratton say the couple bought a pickup truck from Chicago businessman Ramiro Padilla, who is accused of purchasing high mileage vehicles and often rolling back the odometers or swapping them out for ones displaying a lower mileage. The lawsuit accuses Padilla of buying the pickup truck from a Colorado auction, then getting a new title in Illinois, a state that does not disclose mileage in its titles. The lawsuit claims Padilla posted an internet ad to sell the pickup truck. Stratton’s lawyers say in the ad, Padilla stated the vehicle had around 299,000 miles but he had swapped out the odometer for one that showed 151,000 miles. The ad stated he could correct the odometer or leave it as is, according to the lawsuit. Stratton’s lawyers said Roberts purchased the pickup truck from Padilla but did not ask him to adjust it to the accurate mileage. He then got a Michigan vehicle title that did not disclose the vehicle’s mileage because it wasn’t listed on the “washed” Illinois title. The lawsuit claims Roberts advertised the pickup truck with 154,000 miles and never told Stratton otherwise when he purchased the vehicle for $19,500. Stratton said shortly after he bought the vehicle in November 2017, it started having mechanical issues that have continued to this day. He said he didn’t find out that the mileage was much … Continue Reading

Iowa DOT warning of cars sold with odometers rolled back

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCRG-TV9) — A Sioux City car dealer was rolling back odometers on vehicles to show fewer miles and increase the vehicle’s value, the Iowa Department of Transportation says. The DOT says the fraud happened at Siouxland Sales in Sioux City from 2016 to 2018. The DOT says it got a tip in December of last year. An investigation found three victims and 14 vehicles that were tampered with. Authorities served a search warrant on Jan. 17. Siouxland Sales owner Francisco Hurtado was booked in the Woodbury County Jail April 26 on six counts of second-degree fraudulent practice. Anyone affected should call the Bureau of Investigation and Identity Protection at 515-237-3050 or email invbureau@iowadot.us with vehicle and contact information. Original Article: http://kcci.com/article/iowa-dot-warning-of-cars-sold-with-odometers-rolled-back/20172284?src=app

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Man Switching Odometers Gets Two Years in South Dakota Penitentiary

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A man who lived in Sioux Falls and sold vehicles at River Auto Sales, LLC has been sentenced to two years in the South Dakota Penitentiary. Chad Michael Blair, 42, formerly of Sioux Falls and currently listed as a resident of Houston Texas, was sentenced November 28 to one count of deceptive trade practices and one count of odometer alteration. Blair was also ordered to pay $3,375 in restitution. Attorney General Marty Jackley commented on the conviction and subsequent sentencing. “Tampering with odometers in order to get more money for vehicles from innocent victims is wrong and illegal,” said Jackley. “We will continue to hold responsible individuals who take unfair advantage of consumers.” According to a statement from the South Dakota Attorney General’s office, Blair managed River Auto Sales, swapping high mileage odometers with lower mileage odometers obtained from a used auto parts retailer. State law requires a notice to be posted with the vehicle of a changed odometer, which was not done. This case was investigated by South Dakota Division of Revenue and the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division and prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office Original Article: http://ksoo.com/man-switching-odometers-gets-two-years-in-south-dakota-penitentiary/

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Used car dealership caught selling cars with modified odometers

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SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A used car dealership was caught selling cars with modified odometers. Customers didn’t find out the odometers had been tampered with until after they bought them. Moe Motors in South Milwaukee is coming off a 21-day suspension after an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation revealed they lowered odometers and didn’t disclose the changes, which is required by law. “Set it back to 0 and you put a sticker on the doorjamb that says what the reading was, or you have to reset that odometer and the cluster to what the previous reading was,” said Michael Domke with the Department of Transportation. Domke said the company sold 11 cars with odometer violations. Moe Motors has to pay more than $13,000 to those customers. No one at Moe’s was available for comment Friday. Domke said violations like this are rare at licensed dealers. “Most common we see it in private party sales, like cars being sold on Craigslist or other places online,” Domke said. Moe Motors is back open, but the DOT said they could force them out of business if this happens again. Original Article: http://www.wisn.com/article/used-car-dealership-caught-selling-cars-with-modified-odometers/10217156

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Criminal Charges Filed After CBS4 Hidden Camera Catches Auto Dealer Red Handed

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AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) – An Aurora auto dealer has been shut down after an undercover investigation by CBS4, and the attorney general’s office has now filed criminal charges against the dealership.The undercover investigation began when Annette Martin reached out to CBS4. Now the State of Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board has closed CMC Auto. “I “I ran my own Carfax and right at the beginning it showed ‘total loss,’” Martin said. She bought a used Hyundai Tucson from CMC but claims she was not told the SUV was salvaged, and the 44,000 miles on the odometer was actually supposed to be 83,000. She discovered the vehicle’s problems after the purchase. Martin eventually got her money back, but within days the vehicle was back up for sale by the dealer. “That made me very upset,” Martin said. With a hidden camera an undercover CBS4 producer looked at the SUV after Martin returned the Hyundai. The manager, Martin Bernuy, never told the undercover producer the SUV was salvaged or about the odometer’s replacement. In fact, now the odometer replacement sticker was removed, which is a federal offense. CBS4’s Jennifer Brice confronted Bernuy. “But you were still trying to sell it after she brought it back knowing the problems with the car,” Brice said. “Why did you think that was okay?” “I didn’t think it was okay, that’s the reason I didn’t sell it here,” Bernuy replied. Bernuy told Brice he sold the Hyundai back to the auction. The state’s Motor Vehicle Dealer Board began investigating CMC Auto after CBS4’s story aired. Bernuy also told an investigator he sold the car back to the auction but they discovered the Hyundai was sold to a man named Jim. Jim says he was not told about the odometer or salvage issue. The state’s full investigation looked … Continue Reading

Odometer Rollbacks Common With Used Cars In Colorado: ‘It’s Criminal’

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DENVER (CBS4)– The used car market is big in Colorado and with that comes the potential of odometer fraud for consumers. Colorado ranks top 10 in the nation for having the most cars with odometer rollbacks, which translates to nearly 20,000 vehicles on the road right now, according to Carfax. “It looked really good on the eBay listing,” said Wayne Boncyk about the Jeep he spotted online. “The mileage was reasonable for nine-year-old car.” At 109,000 miles the Jeep Cherokee seemed like the perfect SUV for Boncyk’s son to drive to and from college so he bought it. Boncyk later ordered a Carfax report, wanting to know about possible recalls, but found something even more concerning. “There weren’t any additional recalls,” said Boncyk. “There was a flag that said odometer discrepancy.” The Carfax report shows the mileage at 109,000 in 2010 but by 2013 it was 173,000 miles. “This is my son’s vehicle,” said Boncyk. “His safety is at stake. We’re talking about 40 percent more mileage on that thing then I was lead to believe that thing had.” It’s now been a year-and-a-half since Boncyk bought the car. He tried reaching out to the seller but got no response. That seller, a 27 year old who lives in Nevada, told CBS4 he sold the Jeep for a neighbor who did not have an eBay account. He claims he does not know about a rollback. Christopher Basso of Carfax says many consumers don’t realize odometer fraud still exists. “We’re not looking for it when shopping for a used car,” says Basso. He says many consumers believe the old analog odometers are the only way to rollback mileage, but the digital odometer’s can be easier. The equipment is simple to find online and is relatively cheap. Boncyk has now done plenty of research … Continue Reading

8 from St. Louis area sentenced for vehicle title fraud ring

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ST. LOUIS • Eight St. Louis-area men and women have been sentenced for their involvement in a ring that altered vehicle documents to obtain loans, prosecutors said Thursday. The ring altered documents to remove lienholders before selling the vehicles or to obtain new loans, prosecutors said. They also reduced the value of the vehicles on documents or changed the state of residence of owners to dodge taxes and license fees, they said. Federal, state and local investigators were able to document $311,000 in losses due to the scheme, but estimate that the true loss amount approached $1 million. The eight defendants received prison terms ranging from probation to more than 11 years in prison. The final defendant in the case, Justin Carter, 22, of St. Louis, was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison. The leader, Randall Hinton, 33, of St. Louis was sentenced Aug. 11 to 11 years, four months in prison, prosecutors said. Original Article: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/from-st-louis-area-sentenced-for-vehicle-title-fraud-ring/article_caf48294-7e55-5095-9ab7-c77e17635956.html 

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Johnson County sees increase in fake car titles

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Johnson County officials are cracking down on an increasing number of attempts to use fraudulently obtained vehicle titles at the Treasurer’s Office. The Treasurer’s Office used to catch about one person a year trying to use a stolen or fraudulent car title to take ownership of a stolen vehicle, County Treasurer Tom Kriz said. Now, they’re catching about one a month. The increase in fraudulent titles began three years ago, Kriz said, and has put county staff in a tough position as they try to spot them from among the 3,000 title transfers handled each month. People who present fraudulent titles also have been creating a scene at the county administration building recently as police have been called to arrest those attempting to commit the fraud. On Feb. 5, Tyson E Marshek, 30, of Iowa City, was arrested for allegedly trying to obtain a fraudulent title for a stolen 2011 Infiniti, according to online court documents. Marshek was a part of a large auto theft ring based in Chicago, according to an email from Iowa Department of Transportation Investigator Matt Dingbaum. Marshek was charged with fraudulent practice, a class C felony, according to court records. Marshek’s goal, Dingbaum said in the email, was “to obtain Iowa license plates and registration which eventually end up on stolen cars which have had the vehicle identification numbers changed to match the plates and registration.” Treasurer’s Office staff suspected the attempted fraud when Marshek produced a title from North Carolina, Kriz said. A staff member then called the North Carolina Department of Transportation and was told that the title number did not exist, Kriz said. Deputy Treasurer Jim Pregon called the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office for assistance, according to the email. As soon as a deputy arrived at the administration building, the driver of … Continue Reading