Category Archives: Television

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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Two accused of car scam

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Two accused of car scam Two men are accused of running a car racket in which they sold second-hand vehicles with false odometer readings. Police allege the men bought 20 vehicles with high kilometre readings on sales websites this year. They then allegedly bought car parts, including odometers with lower readings, from wreckers and swapped them into the vehicles before selling them to unsuspecting buyers. The men also allegedly changed log book records to match the modifications and removed service stickers from vehicles. By wiping off thousands of kilometres, the vehicles appeared newer and worth more, police claim. Regional investigations unit officers swooped on the pair after spotting two sales advertisements for what they alleged was the same vehicle with different odometer readings. Officers raided a Victoria Park property and allegedly seized documentation, vehicle service stamps and log books connected to the fraudulent modifications and sales. The men, who are in Australia on student visas, allegedly made almost $40,000 profit from the scam this year. One man who allegedly bought a Holden sedan from the pair said the odometer showed it had done 80,000km but he was told by police it had actually travelled 180,000km. He claimed a check by a mechanic had not picked up the illegal modification. “It’s a safety issue as well as an expense – because the car has been driven more than I thought, it will probably have more problems and because it had been tampered with, it isn’t even worth what it would have been with the correct odometer reading,” he claimed. Police have charged a 28-year-old man with 19 counts of gains benefit by fraud and one count of attempted gains benefit by fraud. A 27-year-old man has been charged with 19 counts of gains benefit by fraud and two counts of attempted … Continue Reading

Bremerton cops nab 2 in odometer-rollback scam, 1 at large

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BREMERTON, Wash. — Three brothers are accused of ripping off dozens of car buyers in Bremerton by rolling back odometers to sell the vehicles at a higher price. Bremerton Police arrested two of the brothers on Wednesday then served warrants at two Navy Yard City properties located in the 3700 block of Madrona Street and the 3700 block of C Street, where the vehicles were stored. During the search, detectives impounded at least three vehicles that were not registered to the properties. “Unfortunately, most of (the victims) didn’t know they’d been taken advantage of until I contacted them,” said Bremerton Police Det. Martin Garland. The organized crime investigation started in January 2014 after a victim found a repair invoice in a vehicle that was purchased from the suspects. The victim noticed the mileage didn’t look right, checked the car’s history on CarFax, and determined the mileage was incorrect. Bremerton Police said the brothers purchased the cars on Craigslist then resold them at higher costs after rolling back the odometers, which would make it appear the cars didn’t have as many miles so the suspects could get more money. “One of the big pieces to this puzzle was we were able to determine the CarFax account that our suspects were using and they, themselves, were running a CarFax on the vehicles,” said Det. Garland. “They would print that out, alter the mileage on the CarFax report, and then provide it to the victims as proof of the mileage.” Detectives subpoenaed the records for the suspects’ CarFax account and learned the suspects had done more than 3,000 searches for vehicles. Detectives said the men always made cash transactions and they did not register the titles of the cars to make it appear they were never in possession of the vehicles. In some … Continue Reading

Eye on Scams: odometer fraud

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Almost everyone has shopped for a used car and buying a used vehicle is always a big deal for most consumers. Savvy buyers spend days or weeks searching for the right vehicle at the right price to fit their needs. When shopping for a used vehicle and during the buying process, a major consideration is the mileage on the pre-owned vehicle. Better Business Bureau Serving Acadiana offers advice to help consumers ensure they are not taken by odometer fraud. BBB alerts consumers that one in 10 American vehicles has a tampered or “rolled back” odometer, according to the Consumer Federation of America. According to Car Fax, a BBB Accredited Business, odometer fraud is one of the oldest automotive scams and the introduction of digital odometers has done nothing to halt it. BBB offers the following tips to help consumers detect odometer fraud when purchasing a used vehicle: Always check with BBB first. Compare the mileage Inspect the vehicle Hire an expert to inspect If you realize that you have bought a car with a rolled back odometer, report it to the Louisiana Office of the Attorney General at: http://www.ag.state.la.us/Article.aspx?articleID=37&catID=0 . Original Article: http://klfy.com/2015/05/11/eye-on-scams-used-cars/

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Ex-North Hills Car Salesman Gets Prison In Odometer Fraud Scheme

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CBS2 Investigative Reporter David Goldstein first confronted Shamai Salpeter (right) and uncovered the odometer fraud scheme in 2012. (CBS) LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A former San Fernando Valley car salesman was sentenced Monday to a year in federal prison for rolling back odometers for people who exceeded mileage limits on their leases. Jeffrey Levy, 62, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release upon getting out of prison and to pay restitution of about $115,800 to the owners of 21 cars with altered odometers. U.S. District Judge George H. King ordered that $35,000 of the amount be paid immediately. Levy was also prohibited from employment related to the purchase, sale, leasing, or financing of new or used motor vehicles during the period of supervised release and ordered him to undergo treatment for mental health issues and a gambling addiction. Prosecutors say while working at Galpin Ford in North Hills, Levy referred customers and friends to co-defendant Shamai Salpeter, 65, over a period of three years in a scheme in which people paid up to $400 to avoid penalties for exceeding mileage limits on leases or to increase auto trade-in values. Salpeter previously pleaded guilty and is expected to be sentenced April 13. Both men pleaded to conspiracy to commit odometer tampering. Salpeter was the subject of a 2012 hidden-camera investigation of odometer fraud by CBS2 investigative reporter David Goldstein. Original Article: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/03/16/ex-north-hills-car-salesman-to-be-sentenced-in-odometer-fraud-scheme/ 

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Woodland Hills man will go to jail for odometer tampering

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A man who was once a top salesman at a San Fernando Valley car dealership was sentenced Monday to a year in federal prison for conspiring to roll back vehicle odometers in a scheme in which people paid up to $400 to avoid penalties for exceeding mileage limits on leases or to increase auto trade-in values. Jeffrey Levy, a former salesman at Galpin Ford in North Hills, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release upon getting out of prison and to pay restitution of about $115,800 to the owners of 21 cars with altered odometers. U.S. District Judge George H. King ordered that $35,000 of the amount be paid immediately. The judge also prohibited the 62-year-old Woodland Hills resident from employment related to the purchase, sale, leasing, or financing of new or used motor vehicles during the period of supervised release and ordered him to undergo treatment for mental health issues and a gambling addiction. Levy “defrauded his dealership and multiple customers,” undermining “the trust that people have” when they purchase or lease a car, King said. The defendant told the court prior to sentencing that he would “probably deserve” whatever penalty came his way, adding that there were “so many things I could do for the federal government rather than be incarcerated.” King ordered Levy to surrender to federal authorities on April 20 to begin his sentence. A co-defendant, Shamai Salpeter, 65, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit odometer tampering and is expected to be sentenced April 13. While working at the dealership, Levy referred customers, including friends, to Salpeter, who charged $100 to $400 to roll back the odometer readings, which he did using electronic tools in the driveway of his Woodland Hills home, federal prosecutors said. Levy then accepted the vehicles for lease … Continue Reading

Authorities arrest 28 suspects in connection with vehicle theft operation

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A total of 28 suspects were arrested throughout Southern California on Feb. 26 during a multi-agency investigation into a large-scale vehicle theft operation, according to California Highway Patrol. The investigation was spearheaded by the CHP Border Division’s Orange County Auto Theft Task Force (O.C.A.T.T.), along with the Ontario Police Department and more than 15 other state and local agencies from four counties. Suspects who were wanted for vehicle theft, identity theft, credit card and insurance fraud were arrested in various cities. The operation “Hogg Life” developed after an extensive investigation in which O.C.A.T.T. investigators identified 47 suspects, 125 stolen vehicles and several local businesses from information stemming from a traffic enforcement stop by the Ontario P.D. The investigation involved the fraudulent removal of lien holders (legal owners) from the vehicles’ titles, commonly known as “Title Washing.” These vehicles were then utilized to commit various additional crimes throughout Southern California. The coordination of resources from numerous multi-jurisdictional task forces and agencies resulted in 103 vehicles being recovered or accounted for. In addition, as a result of the operation, three weapons were seized and 18 additional vehicles were identified as either possibly stolen, vin-switched or fraudulently purchased. Original Article: http://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/article_b6060e62-bf91-11e4-bdaf-33e7e10ecf2b.html

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Chamblee car dealer arrested, accused of changing odometers

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1 of 4 Chamblee police took the owner of one car dealership into custody late Thursday afternoon. They say people bought cars from the man seeing a certain mileage on the odometer only to learn too late that mileage was way off. Chamblee police went to the Capitol Auto and Trucks dealership late Thursday afternoon to arrest the company’s CEO Daniel Bedolla Garcia for altering the odometers of cars sold at the dealer. Channel 2’s Amy Napier Viteri talked with one victim, Luis Ortiz Alvarado by phone who said he bought a Toyota Tundra from the dealer in August. He says the truck’s odometer read about 98,000 miles. But he soon noticed transmission problems. Investigators learned when the dealer bought the truck the actual odometer reading was 227,000 miles. “I have never seen an odometer reading being altered that bad. —  130,000 miles, that’s outrageous,” said Capt. Ernesto Ford with the Chamblee Police Department. A second man also went to Chamblee police saying he bought a Dodge Charger with 110,000 miles, according to the odometer and paperwork from the dealer. A Carfax report showed the car really had closer to 180,000 miles on it. Viteri went to the dealership Thursday night.  A woman inside told her they don’t want to speak about the accusations yet. Alvarado told Viteri he’s angry. He’s also out $9,000 with no car to show for it. “It’s very difficult because, you know, we work hard to get the money and it’s not fair for us that they do that to us,” Alvarado said,. Police believe the owner of the dealer took advantage of clients possibly assuming they wouldn’t report the issues or even realize it was illegal. Investigators with Chamblee police say they want any other victims to contact them.

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