Pennsylvania law enforcement officials have charged 13 people in a scheme of reselling luxury autos stolen from Florida.
Attorney General Dave Sunday said the central Pennsylvania-based criminal enterprise involved “vehicle title-washing” that turned a profit of more than $1 million.
According to prosecutors, the title-washing — “cleaning” a vehicle’s paper trail of attached liens or loans by registering the vehicle in another state with fraudulent documentation — happened at licensed tag agencies and notaries in Berks, Dauphin, and Lehigh counties, as well as at PennDOT headquarters in Dauphin County.
Among the vehicle brands allegedly sold were Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Land Rover, Audi, Lexus, and Infiniti. Most of the sales happened between 2022 and 2023.
Prosecutors allege that the scheme, led by 44-year-old Anthony E. Troncoso, sold more than two dozen stolen vehicles. After washing the titles by fabricating documents regarding ownership, registration, and insurance, the group sold the vehicles to private buyers and at auction and dealerships, officials said.
Troncoso has been charged with nine felonies and six misdemeanors, including felony corrupt organizations, washing vehicle titles, and theft by deception. Other members of the group — including Troncoso’s relatives and his girlfriend — are each charged with their respective roles in the scheme.
In recent days, law enforcement officials made arrests and arranged for defendants to turn themselves in for arraignment. Not all defendants are in custody.
Assisting in the investigation were Pennsylvania State Police, Berks and Lehigh County Detectives, New York City Police Department, City of Miami Detectives, and Miami-Dade Auto Theft Unit.
Topics
Florida
Fraud
Pennsylvania
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