A St. Charles County man, Ronald Johnson, was sentenced to 33 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig for engaging in a series of vehicle-related frauds. The sentence, handed down yesterday, follows Johnson's guilty plea in May to one felony count of wire fraud. The U.S. Attorney's Office stated that Johnson, the owner of the car restoration business Full Out Customs LLC, used social media platforms like Facebook to advertise the sale of vehicles and repairs services.
According to court documents, Johnson sold the same 2002 Ford Excursion to multiple victims, one in Pennsylvania for $41,750 and another in South Dakota for $45,000. Fooling the Pennsylvania victim who received the SUV without the ability to lawfully register it, since the title was provided to the South Dakota buyer. Johnson committed his fraudulent activities between Nov. 18, 2021, and Jan. 31, 2022, including taking $149,843 from a victim by falsely claiming it would be used for vehicle repairs and parts.
Furthermore, Johnson ordered welding equipment worth $47,088 from a company, which he never intended to pay for. To cover this up, he used a check drawn from a closed bank account. Some of this equipment was eventually recovered by the victimized company. He also admitted to falsifying car titles, emails, and other documents to misrepresent the status of repair work and vehicle ownership.
In determining the sentence, Judge Fleissig acknowledged the intention behind Johnson's actions, aiming to cause financial losses totaling $315,142. As a part of his punishment, Johnson has been ordered to repay his victims. Brought to light by the St. Charles Police Department’s investigation, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll prosecuted the case, showcasing the depth to which some will sink for personal gain.
