HUNTSVILLE, AL – Randy Eugene Greene, 62, of Huntsville, is facing a lengthy prison sentence after being convicted yesterday of a brazen scheme to defraud car buyers and a local credit union. After a four-day trial, a jury took just 20 minutes to find Greene guilty on 11 counts of tampering with vehicle odometers and 3 counts of bank fraud. The verdict follows an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service into the operations of RJ’s Auto Sales, Greene’s business on South Memorial Parkway.
The evidence presented in court revealed a systematic effort to roll back odometers on vehicles sold at RJ’s Auto Sales, deceiving customers about the true mileage. The discrepancies were staggering – the largest reaching 218,678 miles, with an average of 122,046 miles falsely reported. Greene then used these doctored vehicles to secure financing from Redstone Federal Credit Union, essentially stealing money from the institution and defrauding both the credit union and unsuspecting buyers.
Eleven victims testified during the trial, each recounting how they would not have purchased the vehicles, or would have paid significantly less, had they known the true mileage. Auto auction dealers also took the stand, confirming the original mileage readings before the vehicles were sold to Greene. Even Greene himself admitted, while testifying, that altering odometer readings is a clear violation of federal law – a flimsy attempt to deflect blame after years of deceptive practices.
“This type of economic fraud hurts both consumers and financial institutions,” stated a representative from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “Our investigators and prosecutors will continue to protect the public from fraud… so that they have confidence when making vehicle purchases, what is traditionally the second largest consumer purchase Americans make.” The government is seeking forfeiture of assets related to the bank fraud counts, including a money judgement of $28,000.
The Secret Service is urging anyone who purchased a vehicle from RJ’s Auto Sales in Huntsville within the last five years and suspects they may be a victim of odometer rollback fraud to contact them at 256-922-5408. Greene is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon on July 17, 2019. He faces a maximum of 3 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each odometer tampering count, and up to 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine for each bank fraud count – a potentially devastating blow for the once-slick operator.
Assistant United States Attorneys Russell E. Penfield and Leann White prosecuted the case. The conviction serves as a stark reminder that even seemingly small-scale fraud can carry significant federal penalties, and that the U.S. Secret Service is actively working to dismantle these schemes and hold perpetrators accountable. The Northern District of Alabama is sending a clear message: roll back an odometer, and you’ll be rolling into federal prison.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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