Three Florissant Residents Indicted in Multi-State Car Scheme

Sixteen people, including three Florissant residents, have been arrested and indicted for their involvement in a multiple state car theft conspiracy, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Eastern District of Missouri.

A group used a number of different schemes “to steal and misappropriate vehicles, commit bank fraud in order to obtain vehicles, and obtain insurance proceeds by staging accidents and filing false theft reports,” according to the release.

Reginald Davis, 30, Michael Smith, 40, and Terrelle Marion, 46, all of Florissant were arrested along with: Shahadu Sutton, 38, St. Louis; Tiffany Sutton, 38, St. Louis; Orlando Preston, 38, St. Louis; William Smith, 48, Highland, KS; Robert Reece, 40, St. Louis; John Hicks, 30, St. Louis; Steven Pirtle, 45, St. Louis; Sheldon Mitchell, 42, Ballwin, Mo; Chester Wilson, 41, St. Louis; Arvis Dunbar, 47, St. Louis; Eugene Dunbar, 63, St. Louis; Jermaine Gamble, 32, Custody and Joseph Pearson, 38, St. Louis Area.

In the scheme, someone would purchase a high-end car and receive a loan by making false statements on the application and submit a fake earnings statement. The person would then turn around and sell or dispose of the car and have the loan default after a short payment time or immediately.

More than 100 cars have been identified in the scheme, but may include many more, according to the release. The cars were purchased in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana and transported to the Eastern District of Missouri, according to the release.

The group has charges including, conspiracy, bank fraud, mail fraud and receipt of stolen motor vehicle and face penalties ranging from five to 30 years in prison, and fines totaling as much as $1 million.