A Salt Lake City used-car dealer is facing 15 Wyoming felony charges after investigators alleged he used questionable paperwork to make hail-damaged vehicles look like they carried ordinary titles. The broader buying spree was valued at nearly $2 million, while the criminal case centers on 15 vehicles and alleged forged signatures, counterfeit notary seals and duplicate-title applications.
A fresh follow-up published Monday by MySA framed the case as a warning for used-car shoppers: Sometimes the most dangerous vehicle is not the one with a visibly branded title, but the one whose history has allegedly been scrubbed. The vehicles were purchased after a major hailstorm struck Cheyenne on August 1, 2025, with insurers taking possession before at least some were sent through Copart auctions.
Wyoming Department of Transportation says the state can brand a vehicle using information in the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System even when the current paper title appears unbranded. Wyoming also requires sellers to disclose title brands, underscoring why a clean-looking document is not necessarily the end of the vehicle’s paper trail.
Suspicious Duplicate Titles Put The Case In Motion
According to Cowboy State Daily, employees at the Laramie County Clerk’s Office noticed a series of unusual duplicate-title applications claiming that original titles had been lost. Investigators allege several vehicle owners said they never signed the applications, while notaries reportedly denied signing or stamping documents bearing their names.
One application dated March 5 allegedly carried the signature of a Wyoming woman who had died on July 12, 2025, weeks before the hailstorm that damaged the vehicles. Investigators say the applications were used to obtain Wyoming titles that omitted earlier parts-only or salvage histories, a move that could make severely damaged vehicles appear more ordinary to later buyers.
The case file distinguishes between the 15 vehicles tied to the charges and the approximately 292 vehicles investigators say Scott Keith Pryor purchased through Copart during the previous year. The larger group was valued at nearly $2 million, while the 15 vehicles at the center of the allegations were later reported to have been sold to buyers in Utah with unbranded titles and at a profit, according to MySA’s report.
Why A Clean Title Is Not A Complete Vehicle History
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance says an NMVTIS report can show current and previous title information, brand history, odometer data, theft information and salvage or total-loss records. But the federal system does not provide a complete repair history, and the agency warns that gaps in reporting can produce a false-negative result.
Wyoming law makes knowingly submitting a false statement or forging, altering or counterfeiting a certificate of title a felony punishable by up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both, according to the state’s motor-vehicle statutes. A Laramie County judge found probable cause for an arrest warrant in June, but Pryor remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
For shoppers, the safest approach is to make the vehicle’s VIN, title history, auction history, repair records and physical condition tell the same story. The Justice Department recommends obtaining an NMVTIS report and an independent inspection, while WYDOT has separately warned consumers to watch for title fraud and verify vehicle information before handing over money.
