St. Peters sentenced for fraudulent car sale and repairs, over $315K in losses

ST. LOUIS - A man from St. Peters was sentenced on Thursday after selling the same vehicle to online buyers in Pennsylvania and South Dakota, causing over $86,000 in financial loss.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of Missouri, Ronald Johnson, 57, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for the fraudulent sale of a 2002 Ford Excursion and further defrauding vehicle owners for car repair services.

A U.S. District Judge determined Johnson had intended to cause over $315,000 in financial losses through his car restoration business named Full Out Customs LLC. Johnson had utilized social media, including Facebook, to advertise vehicles for sale and vehicle repair services.

Back in 2022, Johnson had tricked a victim in Pennsylvania into paying $41,750 for a 2002 Ford Excursion that he had already sold to another victim in South Dakota for $45,000. Johnson had given the title to the South Dakota buyer and the SUV to the Pennsylvania buyer.

Without the title, the Pennsylvania buyer could not lawfully register the vehicle.

Additionally, between November and January 2022, Johnson took $149,843 from another victim after falsely claiming he would use their money for vehicle repairs and parts.

Johnson had also ordered $47,088 in welding equipment in December 2021 with no intention of paying for it after writing a check for the equipment from a closed bank account.

The victim welding company was able to recover some of their equipment.

Johnson additionally admitted to falsifying car titles, emails, and other documents that wrongly represented the status of the repair work and ownership of vehicles.

On Thursday, the U.S. District Judge ordered Johnson to repay the victims after intending to cause $315,142 in financial losses.