LOVELAND MAN INDICTED BY FEDERAL GRAND JURY IN DENVER FOR ODOMETER TAMPERING

DENVER – ROCH ALLEN CROTEAU, age 43 of Loveland, Colorado, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver today on charges of Odometer Tampering.  CROTEAU was a used car dealer in Metro Denver, operating a dealership named Sun Sports RV & Marine.

According to the indictment, as early as 2003, through 2007, the defendant devised a scheme to defraud buyers of used motor vehicles by misrepresenting the mileage of the vehicles he sold.

As part of the scheme, CROTEAU purchased older, high-mileage used motor vehicles at various wholesale used motor vehicle auctions in Metro Denver.  The defendant then caused the odometers in the used vehicles he purchased to be altered to reflect false, lower mileage.

CROTEAU then fraudulently stated on applications to the State of Colorado that the mileage was “0" or unknown, when in fact he knew the true mileage of the vehicles.  The defendant subsequently sold the motor vehicles at wholesale auto auctions without stating that the false, lower mileages were inaccurate.  As a result, CROTEAU received higher sales prices for the vehicles he sold.

“Roll back the miles and you could go to federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Troy Eid.

If convicted, CROTEAU faces not more than 3 years and up to $250,000 for each of the 10 counts in which he was charged.

This case was investigated by the US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Hearty and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Alan Phelps.

These charges are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

####