White Collar Crime News

Two men charged in alleged used-car sales fraud February 3, 2010

Authorities allege that Brett Golkin and Peter Schladebeck, 46, both from Colts Neck, sold 32 vehicles at their dealership, Freedom Auto Center in East Brunswick, but used the proceeds to pay personal expenses. They were charged with theft by deception and theft by failure to make the required disposition of cash received for the vehicles. 

 Manuel Sameiro, assistant Middlesex County prosecutor, said Golkin and Schladebeck sold the cars at the dealership’s two locations on Route 18 on consignment for wholesalers and some individuals from January 2008 until September 2009 when the dealership closed.  The alleged scheme was discovered after customers who paid for vehicles but did not receive titles complained to police. The wholesalers and other original owners kept the titles while waiting for Freedom to pay them.

Golkin and Schladebeck also were charged with issuing $59,289 in bad checks between May 8, 2009, and Aug. 5, 2009, to three vehicle owners who demanded payment.  An audit of the dealership’s records showed that on Oct. 15, 2008, the defendants accepted $229,000 from an investor to assist in their purchase of real estate. However, they allegedly kept the investor’s money without telling him they already owned the property.

I had a case along these lines where I represented a car dealer that took cars on consignment, received money and then gambled it away.  Of course, my client was not charged as I worked out the case before the police were involved.

Story is here.