Car dealer who wiped odometers of eight vehicle jailed for three years

[Express]

Car dealer who wiped odometers of eight vehicle jailed for three years



EXCLUSIVE
Kelly Burke, The Daily Telegraph

12 December,2016




A SYDNEY car dealer who wiped nearly one million kilometres from the odometers of eight vehicles has been sentenced to three years jail.

Fadi Ahmad El Osman, 43, who received a 12-month non-parole period on his sentence for odometer tampering, fraud and forgery, could also be looking at further jail time when he is sentenced tomorrow over his part in organised car rebirthing.

His level of odometer tampering was staggering — as many as 207,671 kilometres disappeared off a single vehicle before it was sold to one of his unfortunate customers.

In total he wound back 974,153 kilometres off eight cars and falsified multiple warranty and service books, all over a 10-month period in 2013 and 2014.



Convicted odometer fraudster Fadi Ahmad El Osman. Picture: Supplied


NSW Fair Trading investigators sprung El Osman at VL Autos on Auburn Road in Birrong, two years after the *department had permanently disqualified his motor dealer’s licence.

They found he was buying Japanese 4WDs from car dealers or through private sales, transferring the cars into VL Autos’ name, winding back the odometers and then swapping the numberplates to cover his tracks. He would then sell the vehicles online, complete with falsified log books, using IP addresses connected to either his wife or mother.

NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said the El Osman case was one of the most brazen that he had ever come across.



In total Fadi Ahmad El Osman wound back 974,153 kilometres off eight cars. Picture: Supplied


“Not only was he winding the odometers back, it appears he went to great lengths to convince his purchasers the readings were genuine,” Mr Stowe said.

“It was a pernicious and heartless act that had serious financial consequences for some people who could ill-afford it.”

Jonathan Harvell had just finished his HSC and scored himself a landscape apprenticeship when he bought a Toyota HiLux ute from El Osman in 2013.

He visited El Osman’s home in Greenacre to inspect the vehicle twice before handing over $15,000.

“He was quiet, didn’t say much about the ute but pointed out it had only clocked up about 150,000 kilometres,” Mr Harvell said.

It was when Fair Trading investigators came knocking that he learnt the vehicle had in fact travelled about 350,000 kilometres.

Mr Harvell spent almost $8000 fixing up the ute, including resetting its odometer, before selling it for the same amount, leaving the young apprentice $8000 out of pocket.

“I’ve now got a Ford and I bought it from a dealership. I learnt my lesson the hard way,” he said.


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Guildford cousins guilty of odometer tampering 4 May 2016

Guildford cousins guilty of odometer tampering



Lauren Tesolin,
Parramatta Advertiser

4 May, 2016





Cousins Mustapha Adel Ajouz and Mustapha Abdul Karim Ajouz were found guilty of odometer tampering.


TWO shifty used-car dealers in Guildford have conned multiple buyers into purchasing cars with wound back odometers.

Cousins Mustapha Adel Ajouz, and Mustapha Abdul Karim Ajouz, were both found guilty of odometer tampering within weeks of each other in April.

Mr Mustapha Adel Ajouz plead guilty on Thursday, April 21, to winding back almost 700,000 kilometres on two Toyota Hilux vehicles and a 2009 Toyota Prado.

He was convicted and ordered to pay $12,855 in fines and costs and a further $57,050 compensation to two consumers he sold the tampered vehicles to.

Cousin Mr Mustapha Abdul Karim Ajouz was placed on a two year good behaviour bond and ordered to pay $14,000 in compensation after winding back the odometer of four cars, by a total of 323,432 kilometres.

He was also ordered to pay $6,710 in fines and court costs as well.

“In this most recent case, one unwitting consumer paid $40,000 for a 2009 Toyota Prado that had supposedly clocked up only 87,000 kilometres,” NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said.

“In fact the vehicle had travelled almost 300,000 kilometres when Mr Ajouz bought it from a private seller for just $19,750 five months earlier.”

So far the agency has successful prosecuted 10 odometer tamperers this year.

Mr Stowe said the agency would continue to crack down on these types of sellers who try to deceive consumers.

“Unlawful odometer tampering is an unscrupulous act that cheats consumers and people who choose to carry it out deserve to be subjected to the law,” he said.


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NSW car dealers in alleged odometer scam 16 February 2016

NSW car dealers in alleged odometer scam



By Karen Sweeney

16 February, 2016




NSW car dealers in alleged odometer scam

A Sydney car dealer accused of winding back the odometer on imported used vehicles has been shut down and three more are facing sanctions.

Dream Car City had its trading immediately suspended by Fair Trading NSW officers who were waiting for the company’s director when he arrived at the Concord business on Tuesday morning.

Officers simultaneously raided two other Concord businesses, Prestige Auto Centre and Edward Lees Imports, which describes itself as Australia’s number one import dealer.

Master Cars at Blacktown was also raided.

Those three businesses are accused of digitally altering odometers on at least 100 vehicles imported from Japan and will have to show Fair Trading NSW why they should not be disciplined.

Fair Trading NSW have been investigating the dealers for two years, following a tip-off from a consumer who was concerned about their vehicle’s wear and tear, and information from police.

The four dealers are not believed to be connected.

Three licensed repairers, linked to the dealerships, were also investigated.

Officers seized evidence including de-registration certificates from Japan’s Bureau of Transportation which will be used to compare the odometer readings in Japan with those on the vehicles now.

Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said the data may uncover more affected cars.

"Our belief is the cars were received in NSW and the tampering has been undertaken by the dealers and the motor vehicle repairers that we’ve identified today," Mr Stowe said.

One of the dealers claimed the cars were tampered with in Japan before the cars were imported to Australia.

While cars suspected of being tampered with have been sold on, his customers have been notified of the dealer’s suspicions through Fair Trading NSW.

The dealer suggested Australia should follow New Zealand’s lead in introducing legislation prohibiting the importation of vehicles that have had their odometers tampered with.

A number of people are expected to be prosecuted by NSW Police and Fair Trading NSW in connection with the ongoing investigation.

Fines up to $20,000 are in place for odometer tampering, while those who knowingly sell or attempt to sell a tampered vehicle face up to 10 years jail.

A large number of Australia’s used cars come from Japan where vehicles must be de-registered once they reach a certain age.

De-registration documents, which detail a car’s previous use, are not readily available to used car buyers in Australia.


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