Page 16 - GIADA Jan-Feb 2020

COMPLIANCE

Police: Fla. Dealer Couple Faked 35 Sales

Contracts

By Tariq Kamal

The owners of Heath’s Exotic Cars and actual sold customers — including one who Remarkably, the FHP claims that, in
Leasing of Gibsonton, Fla., were arrested had been dead for five years when “their” addition to forging their signatures, the
Friday and charged with defrauding a finance contract was sold to Mid-Atlantic — and couple went so far as to impersonate
source, the Tampa Bay Times reports. altered or created from scratch documents customers in phone calls to Mid-Atlantic to
intended to prove the three-month secure the agreements. Authorities said at
Husband and wife Haytham Abdulatif threshold had been met. least two contracts worth $139,000 resulted
Daas, 61, and Peggy Ann Daas, 59, stand in vehicles titled in the “buyers’” names
accused of selling 35 fake retail installment The scheme amounted to “a without their knowledge. The total amount
sale contracts to Mid-Atlantic Finance Co., systematic, ongoing course of the alleged fraud was not announced.
which reportedly offers a program in which
buy here, pay here loans can be acquired of conduct with the intent The scheme amounted to “a systematic,
from dealers after three months of on-time to defraud one or more ongoing course of conduct with the intent
payments. to defraud one or more person by false or
persons by false or fraudulent fraudulent pretenses,” an FHP spokesperson
Police say the couple created the fake RISCs pretenses.” told the Times. n
by repurposing information submitted by

14 | GIADA Independent Auto Dealer JAN/FEB 2020