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St. Charles County Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Vehicle-Related Frauds
A St. Charles County man has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for selling the same vehicle multiple times online and defrauding other vehicle owners and a welding company.
Ronald Johnson, 57, of St. Peters, pleaded guilty in May to one felony count of wire fraud and admitted owning a car restoration business known as Full Out Customs LLC.
Johnson used social media, including Facebook, to advertise vehicles for sale and vehicle repair services. He tricked a victim from Pennsylvania into paying $41,750 for a 2002 Ford Excursion that he’d already sold to a victim in South Dakota for $45,000.
Johnson gave the title to the South Dakota buyer and the SUV to the Pennsylvania buyer, meaning the Pennsylvania victim could not lawfully register the vehicle. Between Nov. 18, 2021, and Jan. 31, 2022, Johnson took $149,843 from another victim by falsely claiming he would use the money for vehicle repairs and parts.
Johnson also ordered $47,088 in welding equipment with no intention of paying for it. He wrote a check from a closed bank account to pay for the equipment. The victim company was able to recover some of the equipment.
Johnson admitted falsifying car titles, emails and other documents to misrepresent the true status of repair work and the ownership of vehicles.
Judge Audrey G. Fleissig determined that Johnson intended to cause financial losses of $315,142. Johnson was ordered to repay victims as part of his sentence.
The case was investigated by the St. Charles Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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