Recently, according to foreign media reports,A man from Vermont, USA, was sentenced to four years in prison after defrauding Tesla of five new cars.It is reported that in 2019, a burned Tesla Model
Through continuous investigation, in 2021, the federal prosecutor of Vermont filed an indictment against Michael Gonzalez, a 32-year-old man from Colchester, Vermont, and the matter finally came to light.
The indictment reads:From 2018 to 2021, Gonzalez obtained five Tesla vehicles from dealers in New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Florida, with a total value of approximately US$607,000, equivalent to RMB 4.43 million.
In order to take the vehicles away, Gonzalez paid approximately US$2,500 per vehicle, equivalent to a down payment of RMB 18,000, and then tied an account with insufficient funds or a fictitious account.
Before Tesla found out, Gonzalez had already resold four of the five vehicles.
As for the fifth vehicle, which was the Model X found on the frozen lake, Gonzalez did not sell it, but chose to burn it to obtain a fraudulent insurance claim.
After the truth came out, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated:Michael Gonzalez has pleaded guilty to five counts of possession and handling of stolen vehicles across state lines. What awaits him will be a 48-month prison sentence.