Friday, April 12, 2013 North Carolina Man Charged in Odometer Tampering Scheme In an information made public today, the United States charged Francis Marimo, of Raleigh, N.C., with two counts of odometer tampering. The information, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina on April 10, 2013, alleges that from 2008 through 2012, Marimo fraudulently caused odometers in used motor vehicles to be altered to reflect false, low mileages. According to the Information, Marimo purchased used vehicles primarily through online advertisements, replaced the existing odometers with odometers showing lower mileages, and then sold the vehicles to consumers while representing the low mileages as accurate. One of the vehicles described in the Information was “rolled back” more than 100,000 miles. “Consumers rely on mileage readings to determine the value and safety of used vehicles,” said Stuart F. Delery, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. “Victims of odometer fraud lose thousands of dollars on what can turn out to be unreliable and potentially dangerous vehicles. We will continue to prosecute these schemes wherever we find them.” The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation investigated this case. The case is being…
LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying three tech-savvy criminals wanted for a series of car burglaries in which they used an unknown device to gain keyless entry to vehicles. The men are accused of breaking into seven vehicles in an East Long Beach neighborhood on the night of Feb. 26, according to Long Beach police. The suspects were caught on surveillance using small handled devices that caused “the vehicle’s dome light to come on and doors to unlock,” Det. Joseph Starbird said in a news release.
Most secondhand imported vehicles odometers have been tampered with when compared against its irrespective declared cancellation certificate mileage. This was revealed after a thorough investigation conducted by the Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority (FRCA) in Nadi, Lautoka and Suva “We are clear that the odometers have been tampered with and consumers need to keep a look out,” said FRCA chief executive Jitoko Tikolevu. “The odometer readings have been reduced significantly to encourage consumers to buy the vehicles and we found that there is a big gap from the country of origin of the vehicle compared to the readings being showed here,” he said. He said odometer fraud is a serious threat to car buyers because they may be burdened with having to pay extra cash for the vehicle, additional insurance costs, additional maintenance costs and the vehicle safety. “When buying vehicles consumers need to ensure they demand for a cancellation certificate from dealers to verify the readings on the odometer.” He also confirmed that FIRCA is working closely with the Land Transport Authority in providing superior services to the public. By Mereani Gonedua Orignal Article: http://www.fijilive.com/news/2013/04/odometer-fraud-worries-frca/53544.Fijilive
A few months later, she wanted to upgrade and another dealership offered to buy the car from her. But when that company ran a check on the car’s history, there was a problem. Fernandez’s odometer had been rolled back. When she purchased the car in April 2012 from Affordable Motors, the odometer showed 56,447 miles. That turned out to be untrue. The actual mileage was 187,677, miles at the time Fernandez purchased it. Affordable Motors said it has nothing to do with the mileage discrepancy. “There was a problem before us,” said Affordable Motors owner Felisberto “Felix” Sanchez. “The problem was not us. She’s probably right, but the problem was with a previous out of town dealer.” Sanchez said he runs checks on all his vehicles and nothing seemed out of the ordinary with the Chrysler he sold to Fernandez. Odometer fraud is a national problem, but consumers can take steps to protect themselves. In Fernandez’s case, she did not see her vehicle’s Carfax. The Carfax would have provided a history report for her Chrysler including any possible odometer discrepancies. “If I could do it again, I would absolutely make sure I see the Carfax first.” Federal law requires the…
A veteran Winnipeg police officer was allegedly running an international luxury-vehicle scam that duped several victims, including a prominent city defence lawyer, out of thousands of dollars. Justice sources and court documents reveal extensive details of the case, which came to light last year and only became public this week. The police have released limited information other than confirming Sgt. Richard Sierhuis is facing numerous fraud-related charges. Sierhuis, 47, once worked with the Winnipeg Police Service’s professional standards unit, the department that began investigating his conduct last fall and authorized his arrest in late March.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo — A national crime ring – busted. Investigators say a trailer theft operation here in the Ozarks reached far across the USA. Detectives say South Valley Trailer, LLC, located at 1219 E. Division Street, would steal trailers, change the vin numbers, and then sell them out of state – as far away as North Dakota. The bust dates back to December 2012, when several trailers were reported stolen in Springfield; security cameras captured some of them. Someone spotted a missing trailer at South Valley a few days later, prompting a police investigation. Sales records showed transports to a company in North Dakota, who posted pictures of trailers of sale. The pictures matched the descriptions of the stolen property. Officers say details helped crack the case. “People need to make sure they know serial numbers and the info of the trailers and keep them secure,” Lt. Kevin Grizzell tells KSPR News. “Keep them locked up and chain them. The harder you make it to steal, the less likely it is to be stolen.” Detectives went back to the company’s offices last month and took several hard drives and computers. Officers think files saved on those drives will reveal the…
The Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) arrested a Chattanooga man for Odometer Fraud on Wednesday. THP-CID investigators received a tip that the suspect attempted to sell a 1999 Honda Accord on Craigslist.com, where the vehicle mileage had been altered. The advertisement stated there were 54,000 miles on the vehicle. However, upon the initial investigation, it was discovered that the vehicle had accrued over 200,000 miles. Investigators posed as potential buyers and met with the suspect, 28-year old Robert Brandon Malone. After a series of inquiries, they determined Malone was the suspect who allegedly tampered with the vehicle’s odometer. He was arrested and charged with odometer fraud and driving on a suspended license. Malone was transported to the Hamilton County Jail. “Our job is to aggressively pursue any attempts of theft or fraud across the state. The Internet is a common source for thieves to pursue innocent victims. We just want to remind citizens to be wary of purchases, especially of automobiles, from the Internet,” THP Sgt. Matthew Minter said. Original Article: http://chattanoogan.com/2013/1/11/242071/Malone-Charged-With-Odometer-Fraud.aspx
Beau Michael Guidry of Baton Rouge, La., was sentenced today in connection with an odometer tampering scheme that defrauded victims in and around Louisiana, the Justice Department announced. U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Louisiana James J. Brady sentenced Guidry to a term of 20 months in prison and a term of one year of supervised release during which he cannot be involved in the sale of motor vehicles. In addition, the court ordered Guidry to pay $72,805.51 in restitution to the victims of his crimes. Guidry purchased high-mileage motor vehicles via eBay and wholesale automobile auctions in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The vehicles’ odometers were then rolled back as much as 147,000 miles and resold via Guidry’s used vehicle company, Affordable Imports in Denham Springs, La., or through eBay to unsuspecting purchasers. Guidry exclusively rolled back vehicles that were more than 10 years old when he sold them Because of the age of the cars, Guidry was not required to sign a disclosure certifying the mileage on those 10-year old vehicles as accurate. However, each time he altered an odometer with intent to change the mileage on the odometer, he violated federal law.…
WASHINGTON – An alleged trafficker of counterfeit automotive accessories was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia for allegedly participating in a conspiracy to sell to unsuspecting U.S. consumers more than $3 million worth of counterfeit General Motors (GM) and Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) automotive diagnostic devices and other automotive equipment, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil H. MacBride, Assistant Director Ronald T. Hosko of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division and FBI Atlanta Special Agent In Charge Mark Guiliano announced today. Katiran Lee, 39, an Indonesian national who allegedly sold the counterfeit goods while he was living in Duluth, Ga., was charged with two counts of trafficking in counterfeit goods, four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to the indictment, from August 2008 through December 2011, Lee conspired with manufacturers in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to sell automotive diagnostic devices bearing counterfeit GM and BMW marks to consumers in the United States. Such diagnostic devices are used by mechanics to identify problems with and assure the safety of motor…
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Igor Borodin, 27, of Indian Trail, N.C. pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Charlotte to trafficking in counterfeit airbags, announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Borodin also pleaded guilty to delivering and causing to be delivered hazardous material, that being airbags, by air commerce in violation of rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Transportation. U.S. Attorney Tompkins is joined in making today’s announcement by Brock D. Nicholson, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Georgia and the Carolinas, and Marlies T. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), Region IV. On August 21, 2012, a federal criminal indictment charged Borodin with one count of trafficking and attempting to traffic in counterfeit airbags bearing the registered trademarks of automobile manufacturers, and one count of delivering and causing to be delivered hazardous materials (airbags) to air carriers for transportation in air commerce. According to filed court documents and related court proceedings, Borodin is part-owner of Krugger Auto, located in Charlotte. On August 16, 2012, law enforcement agents with ICE-HSI’s Charlotte and Chattanooga,…