Nashville Car Dealer Admits $550K Fraud Scheme

MURFREESBORO, TN – Randl Arthur Roth, 48, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is facing serious time after admitting today to a calculated scheme to defraud customers and lenders. The former owner of Nashville Motor Cars Premier dealership pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, a betrayal of trust that cost victims in excess of $550,000.

The guilty plea, entered on April 3, 2017, details a conspiracy that began in May 2014. Roth, along with two unnamed co-conspirators employed at the dealership, systematically lied to both customers and the banks financing their vehicle purchases. They falsely claimed the cars had ‘clean titles’ – meaning no existing liens – when Roth knew full well that wasn’t true. This deception induced customers to buy and banks to approve loans that were built on a foundation of lies.

But the fraud didn’t stop with customers. Roth and his crew also targeted the companies financing Nashville Motor Cars’ inventory. They repeatedly told these financiers they possessed specific vehicles to secure additional credit, even though those same cars had already been sold. This left Roth’s business partners believing their investments were safe, backed by assets that simply didn’t exist. The whole operation was a house of cards, waiting to collapse.

The deceit extended to forging official documents. Roth brazenly submitted fraudulent, duplicate car title applications to the Rutherford County Clerk’s Office, then presented these falsified documents to inventory financiers as proof of ownership. It was a multi-layered scheme, meticulously designed to enrich Roth at the expense of everyone else involved. The level of premeditation is particularly disturbing.

Roth now faces a potential sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison and a staggering $1,000,000 fine. Chief United States District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. will deliver the sentence on September 18, 2017, taking into account U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable federal statutes. This isn’t just about money; it’s about accountability for a deliberate and damaging betrayal.

The investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with crucial assistance from the Murfreesboro Police Department and the Tennessee Highway Patrol Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis is prosecuting the case, and will undoubtedly push for a sentence that reflects the gravity of Roth’s crimes. This case serves as a stark warning: financial fraud will be pursued and punished.