MUSKOGEE MAN SENTENCED FOR ODOMETER TAMPERING AND WIRE FRAUD
MUSKOGEE MAN SENTENCED FOR ODOMETER TAMPERING AND WIRE FRAUD
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Sebron Dejuan Brown, age 36, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Odometer Tampering, two counts of Odometer Tampering, and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.
The Second Superseding Indictment alleged that from December 2016 through May 2017, the Brown purchased high mileage vehicles and caused the odometers to be rolled back, which artificially and significantly inflated the vehicles’ value. In many instances, the defendant altered the odometers to display several hundred thousand miles lower than the true readings. After tampering with the odometers, Brown recruited others to engage in a conspiracy to stage vehicle collisions and submit fraudulent insurance claims. As a result of these fraudulent insurance claims orchestrated by Brown and his co-conspirators, the investigation revealed insurance carriers substantially overpaid for property damage to the vehicles, along with fabricated personal injury claims.
The charges resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with the assistance of the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). This investigation developed after representatives from multiple insurance companies noticed a pattern of suspicious claims within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. Through this investigation, federal agents uncovered an extensive and elaborate scheme to commit odometer and insurance fraud.
The defendant’s scheme endangered the public and defrauded multiple insurance companies,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “I am thankful for the collaborative investigation by the FBI, NHTSA, and NICB. Through their efforts, the mastermind of this criminal conspiracy was identified and brought to justice.”
“Odometer fraud is a crime, plain and simple, so I applaud the court’s decision,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson. “We continue to work toward keeping everyone safe on the roads, and the investigation and criminal prosecution of large-scale interstate odometer fraud is a part of those efforts. These types of fraud schemes keep older, less-safe, gas-guzzling vehicles on the nation’s highways, and victimize those who need reliable transportation to support their families. This case is an example of our commitment to ensuring justice for the victims and protecting the public.” The 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. More information on odometer fraud is available on the NHTSA website at https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/odometer-fraud and tips on detecting and avoiding odometer fraud are available at http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nvs/pdf/811284.pdf.
The Honorable David Cleveland Joseph, U.S. District Judge from the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, temporarily assigned to the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Brown will report to a United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Cooper and Jarrod Leaman represented the United States.
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