Cor66Vette
New member
Meet Stanley Torgerson, owner of International Classic Auctions and an automobile dealership, the Arizona Connection. In 2011, Stanley was charged with 100 counts of Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices and a single count of Theft. He faced life in prison.
The smooth-talking auctioneer/car salesman (aren't they all?) worked out a plea deal, where he pled guilty to just four of those counts, and was sentenced to prison for thirty-nine months, followed by a lengthly probation.
The convictions stem from cars sold by Torgerson but never delivered, as well as cars auctioned by ICA without payment to the sellers. More than fifty buyers and sellers were the victims, and Torgerson netted nearly $750,000 from his scam.
Initially, Torgerson claimed HE was the victim, saying the thefts were related to an embezzlement scheme created by some of his employees, but an investigation by agents assigned to the prosecutor's office revealed that the stolen proceeds were actually spent on Torgerson's family members, personal expenses and other business ventures.
If it's any consolation to those he screwed, Torgerson will be paying up to $1.5 million in restitution to his victims, with the final amount determined during a payment hearing scheduled for the middle of next month.
Torgerson's victims are outraged. Few believe they'll ever see any of the negotiated restitution.
How he was able to continue to scam his clients for a couple years is beyond me. How he successfully negotiated the possibility of life in prison down to a mere thirty-nine month sentence (he'll serve about 2½ years) is beyond me, too!
But then again, he IS a smooth-talking car salesman AND an auctioneer!
The smooth-talking auctioneer/car salesman (aren't they all?) worked out a plea deal, where he pled guilty to just four of those counts, and was sentenced to prison for thirty-nine months, followed by a lengthly probation.
The convictions stem from cars sold by Torgerson but never delivered, as well as cars auctioned by ICA without payment to the sellers. More than fifty buyers and sellers were the victims, and Torgerson netted nearly $750,000 from his scam.
Initially, Torgerson claimed HE was the victim, saying the thefts were related to an embezzlement scheme created by some of his employees, but an investigation by agents assigned to the prosecutor's office revealed that the stolen proceeds were actually spent on Torgerson's family members, personal expenses and other business ventures.
If it's any consolation to those he screwed, Torgerson will be paying up to $1.5 million in restitution to his victims, with the final amount determined during a payment hearing scheduled for the middle of next month.
Torgerson's victims are outraged. Few believe they'll ever see any of the negotiated restitution.
How he was able to continue to scam his clients for a couple years is beyond me. How he successfully negotiated the possibility of life in prison down to a mere thirty-nine month sentence (he'll serve about 2½ years) is beyond me, too!
But then again, he IS a smooth-talking car salesman AND an auctioneer!
