Car Thief Sentenced to 46 Months

Car Thief Sentenced to 46 Months

A South Carolina man will spend the next 46 months behind bars for a brazen car theft scheme he ran while working as a fleet manager.

Daniel Stimmel, 52, of Goose Creek, South Carolina, was sentenced for his role in the scheme, which netted him over $4,000,000 in ill-gotten gains.

Stimmel worked as a fleet manager for Emerson Network Power (ENP) in Columbus, Ohio, from 2003 to 2016. During this time, he used his position to divert hundreds of cars from the fleet management contract between ENP and two different fleet management companies.

Through the use of fraudulent paperwork and straw parties, Stimmel was able to sell the cars and title them in the name of third-party buyers. The proceeds of these sales were then returned to Stimmel in cash, which he used to fund his interests in real estate and motor sports.

The scheme was uncovered through an investigation by the St. Louis Division of the FBI, the St. Louis Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Marshals Service for the Southern District of Ohio.

As part of the investigation, authorities were able to forfeit numerous automobiles, motorcycles, a boat, and a luxury automotive storage facility in Plain City, Ohio.

Tom Albus handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Stimmel’s 46-month sentence is a significant blow to those who thought they could get away with such a large-scale scheme. His actions not only cost his former employer thousands of dollars but also put innocent people in harm’s way.

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