A 54-year-old Waikiki man pleaded not guilty this week to misrepresenting the mileage on a car he sold. Car seller allegedly
rolled back odometerA Waikiki man faces charges
of theft and misrepresentationBy Debra Barayuga
Claude Talan, also known as Claude Manders or Paul Arnet, was indicted Feb. 25 for second-degree theft and misrepresenting the mileage on a 1990 Nissan Maxima.
Trial was set for May 12.
Odometer rollback cases come and go, and usually Honolulu police will handle them. But the state Attorney General's Office will prosecute if cases are brought to its attention.
"It's a big-buck crime," said Deputy Attorney General Rick Damerville.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 450,000 cars with rolled-back odometers were passed on to consumers last year at a cost of more than $1 billion.
Odometer rollbacks have been a "huge problem" nationwide, and Hawaii is no exception, Damerville said.
"Any place you have a high rate of motor vehicle thefts, invariably you will have a high rate of odometer theft," he said.
Not only the consumer who pays more is hurt by odometer rollbacks, but also the public is at risk if a car that has been totaled and cosmetically repaired returns to the street without meeting proper safety standards, Damerville said.
If convicted, Talan faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 on the theft charge and up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000 for the misrepresentation.
Individuals in the market for a used car should be cautious when:
>> An ad offers a car for sale with low mileage but when called, the person tries to sell you another car instead. The person could be an unlicensed dealer.
>> The seller is adamant about accepting cash only.
>> The title is in a name other than the seller, who says he is a private party and not a dealer, but is selling the car for a relative.
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of an odometer rollback scam should call Honolulu police or the Investigations Division of the state Department of Attorney General at 586-1240.