Former Indianapolis car dealer faces felony charges, accused of odometer fraud

INDIANAPOLIS — Brandon Billingsley, the former operations manager at KBB Auto Sales, is now facing criminal charges after a state police investigation found evidence that vehicles sold at the dealership had their odometers rolled back.
Photo by: WRTV

On Monday, WRTV spoke with two victims named in court documents that lay out the case against the former operations manager.
The Indiana State Police investigation into KBB Auto Sales on Troy Avenue began with a complaint from Tim Hardwick in 2022. A state police detective found the odometer on Hardwick’s 2011 Ford Explorer, purchased from KBB Auto Sales, had been rolled back more than 70,000 miles.

Hardwick says he’s relieved that Billingsley is facing charges.
“Well, that’s good. It’s good to see justice come through,” Hardwick said. “They was taking advantage of everybody, not just me… I knew they found about 46 cars right then. I think it escalated to over 200.”
The 39‑page probable cause affidavit lays out the case against Billingsley.

According to the affidavit, Billingsley did not deny odometers being rolled back, but said he didn’t know how it was happening during a police interview.
“Honestly, he gets what he deserves,” Judy Stedman, another victim, saiJudy Stedman bought a 2012 Chevy Traverse from KBB Auto Sales. The investigation reveals her odometer was rolled back more than 66,000 miles.
“I cannot sell this car. Nobody wants it,” Stedman said.
Stedman said she thinks Billingsley should face more charges.
“Yes. I believe every vehicle he did odometer fraud on should be a separate felony charge,” she stated.

State police say tampering with odometers reduces a vehicle’s reported mileage to increase the sales price. The probable cause affidavit states that investigators found KBB Auto Sales manipulated the mileage of 40 vehicles between August 2020 and June 2022, totaling more than 2.6 million rollback miles across those 40 vehicles.
The probable cause affidavit also alleges that the dealership under-reported sales and failed to remit collected sales tax. That allegation is the basis for the tax evasion charge against Billingsley.
WRTV reached out to Billingsley this evening after finding his phone number in a public database. He referred us to his attorney. We reached out to his attorney to ask for a statement on the charges and are waiting to hear back.
Iowa man sentenced for using dead man’s identity for 15 years
He was sentenced to 3 years in prison for identity theft and firearms offenses and falsely using a social security number.

DES MOINES, Iowa (KWQC) – Officials said a Clinton, Iowa, man is behind bars for stealing and using the identity of a man who died in 2013.
According to court documents, Rusty Todd Johnston spent more than a decade using the stolen identity to build a new life, obtaining driver’s licenses in at least five states — Iowa, Nevada, Utah, Louisiana and West Virginia. Officials said he also received Social Security cards five times and was married at least twice using the false identity.
Authorities said Johnston assumed the identity of Adam Preston Duriga of Nevada, who died in 2013. Officials said Johnston stopped using his real name and personal information around 2008.
In 2020, officials said Johnston, posing as Duriga, moved to Clinton, Iowa, where he obtained a commercial driver’s license using the stolen information. In 2021, officials said Johnston purchased a handgun in Davenport under the false identity, falsely certifying that he was not a convicted felon. Officers later found the handgun during a 2024 search of Johnston’s home, officials said.
Officials said Johnston’s criminal history dates back to 2005, when he was convicted of felony drug charges in Texas and received a suspended prison sentence. Within months, officials said Johnston absconded from probation, prompting authorities to issue an arrest warrant.
Court records show Johnston, 46, was sentenced Jan. 16 to three years in federal prison for false use of a Social Security number, aggravated identity theft and weapons charges. After completing his prison sentence, Johnston will be required to serve two years of supervised release.
Copyright 2026 KWQC. All rights reserved.
2 Kentucky notaries arrested, accused of attempting to sell forged temporary tags through Facebook
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – The Bancroft Police Department has announced the arrest of two notaries who allegedly had over 70 fraudulent Kentucky temporary tags.
Bancroft police said the investigation began when they were tipped off about the temporary tags being sold online.
According to court documents, Joann Smith, 30, had posted on a Facebook Marketplace group about the sale of temporary tags featuring a picture of a stack of tags. She was contacted about the sale by the informant and eventually identified herself as a notary public and agreed to sell two temporary tags and notarize a Kentucky vehicle title. She later told the informant she could provide as many tags as needed.
Court documents say that when Smith arrived at the agreed-upon sale location, Deangelo Thomas, 33, who is also a notary, was with her. Smith took the informant inside an office and sold him 10 fake tags and notarized a title for $297.
According to police, Thomas notarized the seller’s section of a vehicle title without the seller being present.
Police arrested both Thomas and Smith on Jan. 31. They face dozens of counts of complicity to stealing, producing, copying or illegally acquiring temporary tags. Thomas is/also charged with official misconduct and perjury.
Thomas and Smith are scheduled in court for arraignment on Feb. 4.
Copyright 2026 WAVE. All rights reserved
Conference focuses on combating odometer fraud

A recent report from CARFAX suspected that nearly 2.5 million vehicles on the road have rolled back odometers, with a 14 percent increase in the past year. No state is immune to seeing the fraud, explained Matthew Dinghaum, investigator with the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Investigation and Identity Protection.
The National Odometer and Title Fraud Enforcement Conference, June 7-11 in Duluth, Minnesota, will bring the issue to the forefront. The training for law enforcement, DMV offices, dealerships, title clerks and members of the auto industry will be focused on combating odometer and title fraud. Registration is open at notfea.net.
Dingbaum said some unscrupulous buyers are outbidding retail dealers with the intention of rolling back the odometer to sell the vehicle for over the market value.
“These sales normally take place off-site (normally in a parking lot) with no overhead costs and using their cell phone to utilize Marketplace or Craigslist,” Dingbaum said.
He added the fraud has multiple implications and can impact multiple victims.
“If a dealer buys the vehicle at what they believe is the true mileage (low) and then sells the vehicle at fair market value for the low mileage, and it is later discovered the odometer was rolled back, the customer is going to file a complaint against the dealer,” Dingbaum said. “The person who paid fair market value for the vehicle with the low mileage and discovers the true high mileage is now the victim and has to disclose this in the future. If the dealer takes the vehicle back and makes it right with the customer, they are now the victim. This can continue back until you find the fraudster, who may or may not have even titled the vehicle. The fraudster may have jumped the title or claimed to have been working for a dealership that is a completely false assignment on the title.”
The sale of these vehicles across state lines can further complicate investigations.
Another increasing version of fraud impacting the industry is the washing of liens from titles.
“We still have some states that provide the buyer with the title and not the lien holder. This opens the door for fraud,” Dingbaum said. Fraudsters can purchase vehicles using their true identities or false identities, and if provided with the title, forge paperwork, ultimately washing or removing a lien. Brands can also be washed from titles if the fraud actors know how each state brands their vehicle titles and their state regulations.”
Dingbaum said these are just two examples of fraud that individuals attending the NOTFEA conference, including dealers, are combating and will discuss strategies on during the event. Find information about registering here.
Read original story: https://niada.com/dashboard/conference-focuses-on-combating-odometer-fraud/
Wisconsin DMV identified nearly 6,000 vehicles with odometer rollback; $37 million fraud loss last year

Release date: May 12, 2025
On National Odometer Day, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT) Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reminds car buyers to verify vehicle mileage before they buy. Fraud through “odometer rollback,” changing the mileage shown on the vehicle’s odometer, is becoming more common.
Last year, investigations by Wisconsin DMV’s Dealer and Agent Section identified 5,961 vehicles which showed signs of having odometer rollbacks. This marked a sharp increase from 2023 when the DMV investigators identified 1,736 vehicles.
“Illegally manipulating odometers to roll back the mileage numbers before a sale has been around for decades. Today’s fraudsters, however, have kept pace with technology and essentially hack the vehicle’s computer to change the mileage. This puts the new owner at risk,” DMV Dealer and Agent Section Chief Maura Schifalacqua said.
Odometer rollback involves disconnecting, resetting or altering a vehicle’s odometer with the intent to change the number of miles indicated. Of the nearly 6,000 vehicles discovered with altered mileage last year, an estimated 613,910,784 miles were rolled off the odometers. The estimated fraud loss based on a $0.06 per mile damage calculation is $36,834,647.
This a marked increase from calendar year 2023, in which the identified vehicles had an estimated 181,706,452 miles rolled off the odometers, Schifalacqua noted. The estimated fraud loss in 2023 was $10,902,387.
Instances of odometer rollbacks are often caught when a vehicle is sold. Recent examples include:
- by Wisconsin wholesalers who illegally sold vehicles to retail purchasers from Wisconsin and other states
- by non-Wisconsin dealers/wholesalers to retail purchasers from Wisconsin
- by private parties to purchasers from Wisconsin
- through title processing errors
Wisconsin DMV Dealer and Agent Section investigators revoked 20 wholesale dealer licenses in 2024 due to odometer and title fraud. Last year’s total equaled the combined number of revocations from 2022 and 2023 (10 wholesale dealer licenses revoked each year).
“Odometer fraud is used to increase profit but also to gain a competitive advantage within the used vehicle market. For example, prospective buyers often search Facebook Marketplace for vehicles with less mileage),” DMV Investigator Joel Ingebrigtson explained. “As odometer fraud gains prevalence within a market, the motivation to commit odometer fraud may become less about gaining competitive advantage and more about keeping up with fraudulent competitors. Consumers suffer as a result.”
Identifying odometer tampering
When a vehicle buyer requests a new Wisconsin title, the DMV checks the odometer statement on latest title against available title information and confirms that the information is current. Out-of-state vehicle titles are checked by using the Vehicle Information Number (VIN) in a national database. The goal is to ensure the secure creation and maintenance of vehicle records and to reduce fraud through odometer rollbacks.
Consumers can protect themselves before they take ownership of the vehicle. When purchasing a used vehicle, check these key areas to uncover possible odometer tampering:
- The title and compare the mileage listed to the vehicle’s odometer. Look closely to ensure the mileage notation has not been obscured or altered.
- A vehicle history report*, such as from CARFAX, and look for odometer discrepancies in the vehicle’s history.
- Maintenance or inspection records and compare to the odometer mileage.
- The numbers on the odometer gauge should align correctly on mechanical odometers.
- The tires and overall condition of the vehicle. For example, if the odometer on the car shows 20,000 or less, it should have original tires. The general wear and tear of the vehicle should be consistent with the number of miles displayed on the odometer.
Vehicle titles typically have an odometer reading printed on the front of the title. Sometimes this reading has also been altered to reflect lower mileage. However, sometimes a fraudster will forget to alter this and it will still indicate a higher mileage reading.
“If the odometer statement has already been completed, look for any signs of white-out, evidence that ink has been removed, or evidence that the odometer statement has been overwritten,” Ingebrigtson said. “If the writing appears extra bold, blocky or has a zero at the front of the number, it may have been altered.”
If the title has multiple title reassignment sections completed, the seller might be an unlicensed retail dealer. Unlicensed retail dealers, which includes wholesalers selling retail and non-Wisconsin dealers selling retail within Wisconsin, are a common source of odometer fraud.
Online resources to help consumers
DMV has many online resources at wisconsindmv.gov to help consumers. Check out the DMV Consumer Rights page for additional information.
A vehicle history report* may be obtained online. It’s like is a background check for a vehicle. Most reports include historical details such as title records, crashes, service or repair records, and information about the vehicle’s mileage history. Vehicle history reports help prospective buyers make an informed decision about a vehicle purchase.
“One of the biggest regrets that I hear from odometer complainants is that they did not run a vehicle history report prior to purchasing the vehicle,” Ingebrigtson said. “Many complainants discover the odometer discrepancies on their vehicle by purchasing a vehicle history report after buying the vehicle and the vehicle starts having mechanical issues.”
Consumers may be able to file a complaint against a dealer, if there’s a problem obtaining title and/or registration, or warranty repairs. However, Wisconsin DMV is unable to help if the car was purchased from a private seller or from an out-of-state dealer.
National Odometer Day was created to raise awareness about the importance of verifying vehicle mileage to reduce consumer fraud.
For more information, contact:
WisDOT Office of Public Affairs
(608) 266-3581, opa.exec@dot.wi.gov
Four Romanian Men Sentenced for Odometer Fraud
Friday, May 2, 2025
For Immediate Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that four co-defendants convicted of odometer fraud and related charges were sentenced on April 30 and May 1, 2025 by United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher.
Razan Trasca, age 35, of Craiova, Romania, pled guilty to four counts of Odometer Fraud and three counts of Utter and Possess Forged and Counterfeit Securities of a State (vehicle titles). He was sentenced on April 30, 2025 to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $53,260 in restitution.
Daniel Andronache, age 28, of Craiova, Romania, pled guilty to one count of Utter and Possess Forged and Counterfeit Securities of a State (vehicle title). He was sentenced on April 30, 2025 to 38 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $26,690 in restitution.
Ionut Madalin Zamfir, age 25, of Craiova, Romania, pled guilty to two counts of Odometer Fraud and two counts of Utter and Possess Forged and Counterfeit Securities of a State (vehicle titles). He was sentenced on May 1, 2025 to 36 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $38,500 in restitution.
Dudu Musi, age 37, of Craiova, Romania, pled guilty to one count of Utter and Possess Forged and Counterfeit Securities of a State (vehicle title). He was sentenced on May 1, 2025 to 36 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $17,150 in restitution.
Each of the defendants had entered the United States sometime between approximately 2020 to 2022 and had been allowed to remain in the country.
During approximately January 2022 to July 2024, in Nebraska and adjoining states, the defendants acquired high mileage vehicles, rolled back the odometers, re-sold the same vehicles at inflated prices, and provided vehicle titles that falsely stated low mileages consistent with the altered odometer readings. Sometimes a defendant acquired and sold the same vehicle himself, but each of the four defendants conducted overlapping transactions concerning certain vehicles, for example acquiring a vehicle that a co-defendant sold or accompanying a co-defendant during an acquisition or sale.
Collectively, the defendants acquired and sold at least 23 vehicles in this same way. The Court determined that the cumulative loss was $104,400, based on the difference between the price for which each vehicle was acquired and the inflated price for which it was sold after its odometer was rolled back.
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen stated, “These defendants defrauded ordinary citizens who were simply trying to stay within their budgets by buying used cars. What makes it even more egregious is that they victimized American citizens after having been allowed to remain in the United States.”
“HSI works closely with our partners to identify and investigate anyone who comes to the U.S. to commit fraud,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy. “In this case, the convictions and restitution ordered will support the victims who were defrauded through the defendants’ scheme.”
In a separate case, Andronache and Zamfir had been stopped in November 2023 in Blaine, Washington, near the Canadian border. They were transporting twelve aliens, all of whom were Romanian citizens who had entered the United States illegally. In 2024, Andronache and Zamfir were convicted and sentenced in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington of Conspiracy to Illegally Transport Certain Aliens. At the conclusion of that case, Andronache and Zamfir were transported to Nebraska to face the Odometer Fraud and related charges.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles Fraud Unit.
Contact
Amy Donato (402) 661-3700
Man placed on probation for involvement in odometer tampering scheme
Published 6:00 am Thursday, March 13, 2025

By JUSTIN STORY / The Daily News Donnie Wilson

One of two men who pleaded guilty to crimes related to an odometer tampering scheme at two area used car dealerships was sentenced Tuesday to three years of probation.
Donnie Wilson, 51, was sentenced in U.S. District Court after previously pleading guilty to four counts of odometer tampering, one count of conspiring to tamper with odometers and a count of wire fraud.
According to federal court records, Wilson worked for Randy Huff at South Side Auto Sales in Bowling Green for about four years and was determined to have aided and abetted Huff in a scheme in which vehicles purchased to be sold at the lot had their odometers fraudulently altered to show mileage readings that were lower than the true reading.
Wilson’s role in the scheme involved filling out fraudulent paperwork, including odometer corrections forms and title request paperwork filed with local authorities, and that the forms included forged signatures of victims, court records show. An investigation ultimately found that Huff sold 43 vehicles at South Side and at Huff’s Auto Sales in Beaver Dam from 2018 to 2023 that had fraudulently altered mileage readings.
Under federal sentencing guidelines that factored in the nature of the offense and any prior criminal history, Wilson faced a penalty range of 8-14 months in prison, but was also eligible for probation.
While the criminal case was pending, Wilson was ordered by the court to attend an in-patient drug treatment program, which he credited at his sentencing Tuesday for helping him to recover from addiction and to chart a course for his future.
“My plan is to spend the rest of my life making amends to the people I’ve hurt, directly and indirectly,” Wilson said in court. A sentencing memorandum filed last week by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee noted that it intended to seek $39,214 in restitution from Wilson to be paid to the victims and that it intended to seek a higher amount from Huff, who has pleaded guilty to the same charges and will be sentenced May 21.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Greg Stivers ordered Wilson to pay $10,000 in restitution, saying that the amount previously sought was too high given the scale of Wilson’s involvement in the plot.
“His role seems to be very minor and it’s my impression he was really not fully aware of what was going on,” Stivers said, adding that there was no evidence to show that Wilson received money or otherwise benefited financially from his involvement in the scheme. “Mr. Huff will have his day in court, but it seems like he’s the one who should be the primary person to be saddled with this obligation to repay these folks.”
According to court records, two of the used vehicles identified as having fraudulently altered odometers included: •A 2007 Jeep Cherokee sold at South Side with an odometer reading of 71,576 miles that was altered from 189,520 miles.
•A 2010 Nissan XTerra sold at Huff’s Beaver Dam dealership in 2020 that arrived at the lot with an odometer reading of 211,184 miles but was sold with the odometer reading 71,835 miles.
McGee’s sentencing memorandum said that many purchasers who were defrauded had “extremely poor credit” and that Huff’s car lots offered in-house financing in exchange for upfront cash down payments.
“In many cases, the down payment for a car with a rolled back odometer was higher than the price Huff paid for the car at auction,” McGee said in his sentencing memorandum.
WisDOT takes action against 11 Arlington-based wholesale dealers

Wisconsin Dealers licenses revoked
Release date: January 3, 2025
- Fancy Auto Sales Inc.
- GB Auto Sales Inc.
- Mercedez Chicago Inc.
- Abdul Aziz Motors LLC
- Three Brothers Auto Sale LLC
- Deepway Auto Sales LLC
- Divinity Motors LLC
- Xclusive Auto Xchange Inc.
- AMG1 Autos LLC
- Veritas Auto LLC
For more information, contact:
WisDOT Office of Public Affairs
(608) 266-3581, opa.exec@dot.wi.gov
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Odometer Tampering Charges
Friday, December 13, 2024
For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs

Drew Mitchell Schreiber, of Orlando, Florida, pleaded guilty yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida to three counts of odometer tampering.
Schreiber, owner of Central Florida Automotive Group (now-named Southeastern Credit Union Solutions), in Winter Garden, Florida, purchased high-mileage used vehicles from wholesale automobile auctions throughout Florida. The vehicles’ odometers were then rolled back as much as 428,000 miles and resold to unsuspecting used-vehicle dealers via auto auctions or by online direct sales. The rolled-back vehicles were then sold to victims throughout the United States enriching Schreiber with fraudulent gains. In all, Schreiber sold rolled-back vehicles. Because many of these vehicles were more than 10 years old, Schreiber obtained so-called “exempt” titles that did not reveal the actual mileage of the vehicles.
“Just because a motor vehicle may be exempt from mileage recording on a title does not give a dealer the right to roll back odometers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “With vehicles remaining in use for longer periods of time, many Americans rely on older vehicles as their primary mode of transportation. Used car buyers deserve peace of mind knowing that the odometer reading in their vehicle is correct.”
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation investigated this case.
Trial Attorney David Sullivan of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kara Wick for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found Here.
Updated December 16, 2024
Othello Man Indicted for Rolling Back and Replacing Odometers
Monday, September 9, 2024
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Washington
Spokane, Washington – On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Washington returned an indictment charging Reynaldo Valdez Garza Jr., age 52, of Othello, Washington, with five counts of Odometer Tampering. Garza made his first appearance in Federal Court on September 9, 2024.
The indictment alleges that beginning in May of 2023, Garza carried out a scheme to acquire used cars with high mileage, tamper with or replace the odometers in the vehicles to make the cars mileage appear much lower, then advertise and sell the vehicles to unsuspecting buyers for an inflated price. According to the indictment, in some cases, Garza caused odometers to be rolled back more than 100,000 miles.
The indictment further alleges that in some instances Gaza would wait for the buyer to sign their section of the Bill of Sale paperwork, then fill in the “seller” section with different information than what was represented to the buyer regarding the identity of the seller and mileage.
“The purchase of a vehicle is often one of the largest financial commitments people make. It is important that buyers have confidence in the information they receive when deciding which vehicle to purchase,” stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “My office is committed to protecting consumers from fraudsters who seek to cheat the system for their own gain.”
This case was investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devin Curda.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Contact
Robert Curry
Public Affairs Specialist
USAWAE.Media@usdoj.gov
Updated September 9, 2024


The Bancroft Police Department has announced the arrest of two notaries for allegedly having over 70 fraudulent Kentucky temporary tags.