Holler Kia Mitsubishi In Casselberry, Florida Employees Of Holler Mitsubishi of Casselberry Forged my signature and sold vehicle to someone I do not know Orlando - Casselberry Florida

On June 17 and 18, they aired on TV here in Orlando the bust which involved Hector Colon and a bunch of other felons.

By the way it sounds, Hector Colon is responsible for collecting all the information and allowing vehicles to be sold off the 2 dealership lots. He was a Used Car Manager at Coggin Honda where there were vehicles purchased fraudulently and also was a salesman at Holler Mitsubishi in Casselberry where vehicles were sold fraudulently as well!

Coincidence that both these dealerships had fraudulently sold vehicles? No!! Hector Colon was the inside man!

The news said he was only going to be given 8 years in jail!! Where is the justice? Rachel Lynne Opsahl, daughter of a well known news anchor here in Orlando will probably get out of jail with a slap on the wrist!

Here are the stories:
Officials arrest 12 in probe of ID theft
--------------------

Suspects are accused of stealing papers that were used to buy cars and homes.

By Henry Pierson Curtis and Pedro Ruz Gutierrez
Sentinel Staff Writers

June 18, 2004

An identity-theft scheme that duped two Central Florida car dealerships out of 150 cars in recent years produced a dozen arrests Thursday.

Along the way, the thieves upended the credit of more than 60 residents whose stolen identities were used to buy the missing vehicles, according to court records.

"Without a doubt, this is one of the boldest rings we have investigated," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Klindt, who characterized the case as the largest of its kind between Fort Myers and Jacksonville.

Agents say the investigation continues to expand, and court records show it includes heroin trafficking and drug dealing from homes bought with false documents. No drug charges have been filed.

The bogus documents came from insiders at two car dealerships, who copied Social Security numbers and other personal identification items from prospective buyers for use by the ring, Klindt said at a news conference in Orlando with representatives of the FBI, the Florida Highway Patrol and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

A federal grand jury in Orlando indicted 15 suspects this week in cases from 2002 and 2003. One suspect already was in jail on related charges. Authorities are looking for two more.

Thursday's roundup included Hector Colon, identified in court records as a former salesman at Holler Mitsubishi on Semoran Boulevard and a former used car manager at Coggin Honda on South Orange Blossom Trail. He was arrested on several charges, including conspiracy to produce false documents.

"We're delighted with today's indictment," said Holler Mitsubishi spokeswoman Lori Booker. The dealership's financial losses, she said, were "too many zeros to mention."

Ring members used laptop computers to produce bogus Social Security cards and drivers licenses from Florida and Puerto Rico. They then used those false documents to qualify for the no-cash-down vehicle purchases, according to court records. In addition, four houses in Orlando, Sanford and Deltona were bought with false documents and occupied until creditors repossessed them, according to court records and interviews. They also used the bogus IDs to buy computers, cell phones and other items.

Unlike many large car-theft cases, none of the missing vehicles were shipped overseas or out of state for sale, officials said. Klindt said many were used for joyrides and then abandoned. Some have been recovered, but authorities Thursday said they didn't know how many.

Initially prosecuted in state court, the charges were dropped last fall so the case could shift to federal court, which has stiffer penalties. That led some of the defendants to think the case was over.

"The majority of them thought that by the case being dismissed . . . that somehow we had bungled up the case and that they had gotten away with it," FHP Trooper Jorge Diaz said late Thursday afternoon.

Identity-theft investigator Diaz began the probe last summer when a supervisor at the tax collector's office in Kissimmee spotted motorcycle buyers using bogus drivers licenses at Power Sports. Ring members bought five motorcycles from that dealership.

The indictment identified 25 automobiles and five motorcycles, but Klindt said more than 150 cars appear to have been taken.

Lewis Antonio Corporan, who is named as ringleader in the indictment, was arrested last month by FBI Agent Gabriel Maldonado Jr. on multiple counts of document and mail fraud.

Court records show Corporan also is a suspect in an armed home invasion in Seminole County in which a Lexus SUV leased with a phony credit card was used as a getaway vehicle. He has not been charged in the home invasion.

Andrew Vasquez, who is being held at the Seminole County Jail, previously told investigators he helped Corporan rob the home of a large amount of heroin and jewelry.

Vasquez, who awaits trial on charges of armed robbery, car theft and identity theft, told investigators that Corporan paid people to get credit reports and bank-account information, and used them to make computer-generated documents. Homes were bought with phony documents and used for drug dealing until they were abandoned, he said. Vasquez is not named as a member of the ring indicted Thursday.

Also arrested Thursday were Luis Enrique Collazo, Mariela Rivera, Nehemias Vale, Luz Celena Arriaga, Raymond Junior Gonzalez, Edwin J. Ramos, Ivan Legarreta, Jennifer Nicole Day, Rachel Lynn Opsahl, who is the daughter of WFTV news anchor Bob Opsahl, Yvette Rodriguez and Armando Torres. Two others, George Saldana and Alejandro Pagan, remain at large.

The indictments charge them with conspiracy to produce false identification and with wire and mail fraud. Most of those arrested Thursday were released on $25,000 bond.

Members of the ring could face at least 10 years in federal prison.

Henry Pierson Curtis can be reached at 407-420-5257 or hcurtis@orlandosentinel.com. Pedro Ruz Gutierrez can be reached at 407-420-5620 or pruz@orlandosentinel.com.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-locidtheftring18061804jun18,1,5846619.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

Another story from WFTV (channel 9):
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Investigators are calling it one of the biggest cases of identity theft in Central Florida history with at least 60 victims. After two years of looking into it, they unsealed the federal indictment on Thursday, and put a halt to it with a series of early morning raids.

It was a full-fledged takedown. A man accused of using a stranger's good credit to buy cars, and then sell them, tried to get away, but highway patrol officers boxed him in and caught their man.

Along with the FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, they cuffed 13 of 15 suspects Thursday. All of them are part of a complex and bold scam in which the men and women allegedly used other peoples' names and information to buy more than a million dollars in cars, jewelry, motorcycles and even homes.

Within hours, the group appeared in federal court, facing charges that could land them each 25 years behind bars.

"And, without a doubt, this is the boldest ring that we have prosecuted," says Jim Klindt, U.S. Attorney's office.

The scam, investigators say, was scary because of how it was pulled off. In many cases, a car salesman at the Winter Park Holler Mitsubishi dealership, they claim, would photocopy the driver's licenses of customers that went for test drives.

Soon, he and the other suspects were making new IDs for themselves using the customer's information, and spending plenty. Investigators say they bought more than 150 vehicles in all, ruining the credit of countless victims.

"I guess what strikes me in this, and it's probably the same in most ID theft cases, but it's just so blatant in how easy this was," says Klindt.

Holler cooperated with the authorities and the suspect in the case was fired once they learned about it. However, the investigation is far from over, with more arrests on the way and, unfortunately, more victims likely to come forward.

http://www.wftv.com/news/3430915/detail.html

Another story from WESH (Channel 2 news):
Investigators Bust Identity Theft Ring
POSTED: 10:04 am EDT June 18, 2004
UPDATED: 10:13 am EDT June 18, 2004

WINTER PARK, Fla. -- Dozens of victims of identity theft are celebrating news that the alleged thieves have been indicted.

Idel and Leonard Davy said they discovered someone had bought a new car last summer at a Winter Park dealership using Leonard Davy's stolen identity, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported.

It turned out the Davys were victims of an alleged identity theft ring that purchased over $1 million in goods.

"I have to walk to work, and he's driving around with a $34,000 2003 car. Yes, I was in tears," Idel Davy said.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Orlando announced Thursday that 15 people had been indicted in the case following a year-long investigation.

http://www.wesh.com/news/3433734/detail.html

Another news story from WOFL (Fox 35):
A dozen people arrested on charges of fraud, stealing identities
(06.18.04) (Orlando-AP) -- Authorities have arrested a dozen people who they say were involved in a scheme that bought as many as 150 cars, five motorcycles, four homes and many other items using stolen identities. Prosecutors say insiders at two car dealerships copied Social Security numbers and other personal identification from prospective buyers. According to court records, members of the identity-theft ring then produced fake identification cards from Florida and Puerto Rico, which they used to qualify for the cars, homes and other goods. Prosecutors say the houses were repossessed, and many of the cars were only used for joy rides before they were abandoned. The 12 are indicted on charges of conspiracy to produce false identification, wire fraud and mail fraud. They could face at least ten years in federal prison.

http://www.wofl.com/_ezpost/data/5716.shtml

From the looks of it, it all started out from the 2 Dealerships because of this one man named Hector Colon. The dealerships should have had better safety measures and knew something was going on especially with high sales manifesting when sales were down in the prior months!

I hope the people convicted get a long prison sentence! And the people who got away with the Vehicles such as Jason Torres and Yasmine Gonzalez get a prison sentence too for being accomplices for ilegal crimes! The people that the salesmen sold the vehicles fraudulently to should be put behind bars!!!

Both these dealerships Holler and Coggin should have had better security measures. It's all their fault why this big scam has happenned!

If I were you or any of the victims, I would sue the pants off this dealership and make sure that they dont do this to anyone ever again!! Make them an example that they shouldnt screw with people's livelihood and trusted information!

This is the link for the news segment that aired a few months ago:

http://www.wftv.com/news/2828661/detail.html

And this is the story:

CASSELBERRY, Fla. -- Channel Nine investigated an identify theft ring that operated out of a popular Central Florida car dealership. WFTV reporter Josh Einiger has uncovered a scheme that targets people with good credit to co-buy cars for people who have bad credit.

The trick is the co-buyers have no idea they've bought a car, unless a collection agency comes calling. Our investigation learned it was common practice at one local dealership.

What if a salesman takes your credit and uses it to buy someone else a car? We found it was happening to several Central Florida residents without their knowledge.

At 240 pounds of pure muscle, Air Force Sergeant Jerryme Morales is not one to mess with. The accomplished weightlifter can bench press two people, but these days there's a weight on his shoulders he simply can not handle.

"I feel like I'm being, it's like, I just feel like I'm being raped, you know?" he says.

It has been almost two years since he walked into Holler Mitsubishi, with perfect credit, and met salesman Hector Colon. Morales says Colon was just too pushy.

"I thought something was strange about that and I told him I'm not gonna buy a car from him. I'm gonna go elsewhere for a car," explains Morales. "And then he said something fishy after that. He said, 'Would you be willing to help somebody buy a car, since you have perfect credit?' And I looked at him like, huh?"

Morales, an Air Force accountant, thought little of it and walked out. He transferred to Colorado and spent a year serving his country in Pakistan. It wasn't until October, when he returned to Denver, that he opened some disturbing mail. "They said, you owe us $50,000."

In June 2002, Holler Mitsubishi sold a Montero to a man named Jason Torres. Although they'd never met, Morales somehow became an unwitting co-signer. Now, more than a year later, Torres was in default and Morales was on the hook.

"I was not in Orlando; I was not even in Florida in June 2002. I never even left the state of Colorado from May to December," he explains.

Morales called the cops and eventually got through to the FBI, who told him he'd been only one of many victims of a large-scale identity theft ring at the Holler dealership, where former Holler salesman Edwin Lomonaco witnessed it all.

"The manager came in, called everybody upstairs and said, 'I need you guys to sell a car. I don't care what you need to do; I don't care if you need to cheat or lie or steal, whatever you need to do you need to sell a car,'" explains Lomonaco.

The ex-cop says the intense pressure to sell turned some colleagues to fraud. "They were selling so many of these vehicles and making an extreme amount of money, and I didn't know how they were doing this."

Eyewitness News has uncovered about two dozen internal Holler invoices. All involve salesman Hector Colon. All involve buyers with bad credit. All involve co-buyers, some of whom had no idea their good credit was helping a perfect stranger buy a car.

In many cases, their addresses on the forms were just plain wrong. For instance, on one, 1412 Hernandez Street simply does not exist. We did find 1937 South Semoran, but it's really a storage closet.

And then there's the case of Yasmine Gonzalez, a 26-year-old with no driver's license. Her address exists not in Orlando, like the invoice says, but in Altamonte Springs, where she no longer lives.

But we did find her co-buyer, 54-year-old Jami McCutcheon, a pastor's wife from Oviedo.

"Do you know Yasmine Gonzalez?" we asked her.

"I've never heard of a Yasmine Gonzalez," she said.

"Well, you helped her buy a car," we told her.

"Yes, I'm very nice," she replied, laughing.

She and her husband, Stuart, may not know Yasmine, but they do remember Hector Colon. They almost bought a car from him at around the time Jerryme Morales stopped by. They also walked out in disgust.

A few months later, the FBI called them and told them a stranger had stolen their credit.

"I don't know whatever happened to good, right and honorable. You know it doesn't seem to exist too much anymore," says Jami.

"A crook, a dishonest crook, that's who they are. And they prey on the good intentions of others, and the sincerity and honesty of others. I think they ought to be put behind bars," says her husband, Stuart.

Fortunately, for the McCutcheons, the Feds got to them early enough and they averted a credit crisis. But halfway across the country, in Denver, Jerryme Morales is not so lucky.

"I'm gonna be turned down for everything until I get this taken care of. It makes me sad, but it makes me upset even more," he says. "I can't buy a refrigerator. That's crazy, huh?!"

Our investigation has concluded that, while some employees were involved in the identity theft ring, others were not. As for the FBI, they won't confirm or deny an investigation even exists.

Meanwhile, an attorney representing the Holler dealerships tells us it was the Hollers who first called in the FBI.

"They're very disappointed that anything like this would happen. They're certainly very disappointed that anyone would try to take advantage of their dealerships," explains attorney Frank Hamner. "Certainly very upset that any of their customers feel their privacy has been invaded, or that there's any wrongdoing on the part of the dealership. Again, that's why they initiated the investigation and are cooperating and will prosecute anyone involved to the fullest extent."

Copyright 2004 by wftv.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

It's funny that they didnt even apologize or try to fix the victim's credit!!!!