Shreveport car dealers turned cash laundromats for drug dealers. Michael Paul Boyter, 54, and Anthony Reuben Riley, 53, both of Shreveport, ran Mike’s Auto Sales and A-1 Auto Finance Company as a pipeline for dirty money, accepting stacks of untraceable cash from narcotics traffickers in exchange for vehicles and fake paperwork. Their scheme spanned nearly 15 years — from 1996 to 2010 — and ended with federal prison sentences, millions in forfeited assets, and a payout to the agencies that brought them down.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, and IRS distributed $800,126 to six local law enforcement agencies after completing a forfeiture action tied to the operation. The Louisiana State Police, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, Shreveport Police Department, and Bossier City Police Department each received approximately $174,170. The IRS took $208,765. The funds came from the sale of real estate, vehicles, and seizure of bank and brokerage accounts tied to the now-shuttered businesses.
Boyter was sentenced on February 18, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 60 months in federal prison for wire fraud and tax evasion. He must pay $290,381 in restitution and a $200,000 fine. Riley received 15 months for failing to file Form 8300, which reports large cash transactions, and was hit with a $100,000 penalty. Both men agreed to forfeit all property linked to Mike’s Auto Sales and A-1 Auto Finance and owe a joint money judgment of $1.3 million.
Their criminal operation thrived on deception. The defendants knowingly sold vehicles to individuals who admitted they made money from drug distribution. They accepted cash, used nominee buyers to hide identities, and falsified sales records to conceal down payments. They even lied to the Shreveport Police Department and Harrison County Sheriff’s Office to help drug traffickers retrieve seized vehicles — all part of a broader conspiracy to shield narcotics profits.
FBI sting operations in 2009 and 2010 exposed the rot. Undercover agents, posing as buyers with illicit funds, paid large cash down payments. Boyter, Riley, and associates accepted the money without reporting it, registered vehicles under fake names, and altered paperwork to dodge federal reporting thresholds. The evidence was undeniable: Mike’s Auto Sales wasn’t just selling cars — it was selling cover.
U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley said the $1.25 million distributed to law enforcement — part of a $2.19 million forfeiture — proves what collaboration can achieve. ‘This case serves as an example of what can happen when law enforcement agencies work together,’ Finley said. The dismantling of this criminal enterprise not only removed a key enabler of drug trafficking but also armed local cops with resources to keep fighting the next wave.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime|Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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