Gard: loans were taken out, under aliases, to buy and resell new cars

L'un des six suspects était absent et fait l'objet d'un mandat d'arrêt Midi Libre – Archive MiKAEL ANISSET

The scammers took out loans under aliases or false identities to buy and resell new BMWs or Mercedes. Six defendants, including two women, are sentenced in Nîmes.

The buyers of these new cars had taken out bank loans, under identities that had been usurped or under aliases. The "combine" successful project was inaugurated in the Paris region. And the cars were then resold, via intermediaries from Hérault, to individuals. 

Suspected of being involved in this case of fraud and money laundering, six defendants, including two women, were sentenced by the Nîmes criminal court on February 15. Some of the victims – women – are the real holders of the identity cards and have suffered multiple reminders from banks demanding large sums. Banks and credit companies have formed a civil party.

Fake identity cards and investigation by the Gard gendarmes

The Gard gendarmes are at the origin of this investigation, after having discovered, in Sommières, at the home of a man, around ten false identity cards , with the same photo.

Between November 2020 and April 2023, four new cars – a Mercedes, two Golfs and a BMW – were purchased in Aquitaine, Cantal, Alsace and Savoie, under a stolen identity or under a.k.a. The vehicles were then resold to buyers who had not been aware of this successful entanglement. 

Jean-Michel C., one of the defendants, indicted for organized gang fraud and money laundering, did not appear at the ;#39;hearing. He was sentenced to 4 years in prison and 80,000 € fines. He is the subject of an arrest warrant. The second defendant, J.F, defended by Me Guillaume Raymond, is sentenced to three years in prison, including 2 years suspended with a probationary suspension, 30,000 € fines and avoid prison. Pascal H., a Hérault resident, is sentenced to 8 months in prison. C. M, a young woman defended by Me Julien Dumas-Lairolle who had participated in this scam is sentenced to 3 years in prison, including two years with a probationary suspension and  10,000 € fines. The court did not issue a committal warrant. Clément, a Hérault resident, is sentenced for laundering fraud to 1 year in prison with a probationary suspension; Mélanie K. is also sentenced for laundering fraud to 8 months in prison with a suspended probationary period and a fine. The defendants will have to compensate the victims.