A Columbus man has been charged with altering the odometers on vehicles he sold at his former Whitehall car dealership.
Simon C. Nwaru, Jr., 38, who owned and operated S. Automotive Ltd., was indicted by a federal grand jury today.
According to the eight-count indictment, between November 2020 and May 2022, Nwaru knowingly disconnected, reset and altered the mileage registered by the odometer on vehicles, changing them from high mileage to lower mileage, before selling them to customers.
The charging document details eight vehicles that allegedly had their mileage illegally reduced by approximately 80,000 to 100,000 miles.
Odometer fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to three years in prison.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the charges returned today. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Prichard is representing the United States.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation and the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles Investigations Section.
NHTSA estimates that odometer fraud in the United States costs consumers more than $1 billion annually.
NHTSA encourages the public to report odometer fraud by emailing odometerfraud@dot.gov or calling 800-424-9393.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
