The indictment alleges that from 2009 through February 2014, the defendants rolled back the odometers on at least 146 vehicles.
A federal grand jury indicted two men for odometer fraud. Erick Sanchez-Pulido, 30, and his brother, Israel Sanchez-Pulido, 31, were charged with one count of conspiracy, 15 counts of odometer fraud, four counts of making false odometer statements and other charges. Both men, Mexican citizens, were allegedly in the U.S. illegally. Prior to their arrests, they had been living in the Chicago area. The charges were filed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
The indictment charges that the Sanchez brothers purchased high-mileage used motor vehicles at Wisconsin auto auctions, rolled back the vehicles’ odometers, altered the mileage readings on the vehicles’ titles and sold the vehicles to unsuspecting consumers. The indictment alleges that from late 2009 through February 2014, the defendants rolled back the odometers on at least 146 vehicles.
“Tampering with odometers is a crime that puts consumers’ lives and wallets at risk,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator David Friedman. “Safety is the Department of Transportation’s top priority, and we will continue to work with our Department of Justice and state DOT partners to deter odometer fraud and inform consumers of the potential signs of and dangers associated with this crime.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation investigated the case.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
