Oscar M. Baine, Odometer Tampering, Mississippi 2023

Long Beach, MS - In a shocking revelation, two Long Beach, Mississippi, men, Oscar M. Baine, 41, and Jeffrey Lyn Savarese II, 35, pleaded guilty to their roles in a long-running odometer tampering scheme.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation (NHTSA), Baine and Savarese were involved in a scheme that caused at least 387 vehicles to be rolled back between 2011 and 2014, resulting in consumer losses of more than $600,000.

Baine pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to alter odometers and one count of odometer tampering, while Savarese pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to alter odometers. Both defendants appeared in federal court in Gulfport before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. The court set sentencing hearings for both defendants for October 17, 2023.

As part of his plea agreement, Baine admitted that he purchased high-mileage vehicles from wholesale automobile auctions, dealerships, and individuals, and arranged to alter the vehicles’ odometers to reflect false, lower-mileage readings. Baine admitted that he paid Savarese and others to change or alter odometers at his used car lot in Gulfport. Baine then sold the rolled-back vehicles to unsuspecting consumers for inflated prices.

The scheme, which was investigated by the NHTSA, assisted by the State of Mississippi Office of the Attorney General, is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of odometer tampering.

“The public relies on mileage information to assess the value and safety of a vehicle, and that information must be accurate,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt. “These criminals put the public at risk by rolling back odometers and defrauding hundreds of people out of one of their biggest investments.”

NHTSA estimates that odometer fraud in the United States results in consumer losses of more than $1 billion annually. Individuals with information relating to odometer tampering should call NHTSA’s odometer fraud hotline at (800) 424-9393 or (202) 366-4761.

In related news, NHTSA has released a guide on detecting and avoiding odometer fraud.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/two-mississippi-men-plead-guilty-odometer-fraud-scheme