Thirteen Area People Indicted On Fraud Charges Involving Motor Vehicle Titles

St. Louis, MO – RANDALL HINTON was indicted in August on multiple fraud charges involving his scheme to alter and counterfeit documents in order to obtain state issued motor vehicle titles for himself and others.  Last week, twelve additional individuals were indicted in two separate indictments for their part in the use of the altered and counterfeited documents to obtain motor vehicle titles and motor vehicle title loans. 

According to the indictments, the schemes involving the defendants resulted in financial losses to the State of Missouri, financial institutions, title loan companies and individuals.  As the documents were often altered to decrease the value of the vehicles or to change the state of residence of the vehicle owners to addresses in Illinois, the owners of the vehicles were able to evade paying the appropriate taxes and license fees to the Department of Revenue for the State of Missouri.  When Hinton removed the names of financial institutions which had financed the purchases of the vehicles from legitimate titles, Hinton, Arronda Williams and others were able to sell the vehicles to innocent purchasers who were then unable to register the vehicles due to existing liens.  The final aspect of the scheme enabled individuals to use the altered documents to obtain motor vehicle title loans from companies located throughout the United States.  As a result of existing liens or the fact that the value of the vehicles was less than the defendants represented, the title loan companies experienced large financial losses. 

In a superseding indictment filed last week, Hinton, St. Louis, Missouri, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of conspiracy to defraud, three felony counts of mail fraud, three felony counts of interstate transportation of falsely made securities, two felony counts of aggravated identity theft and one felony count of making a false statement.  Arronda Williams, St. Louis, was charged in a separate indictment by a federal grand jury on one felony count of conspiracy to defraud, two felony counts of mail fraud, two felony counts of wire fraud, two felony counts of pledging falsely made securities and one felony count of aggravated identity theft

The following co-defendants were also indicted by a federal grand jury last week on related charges.  The indictments were sealed until earlier today:

• BRYNESHA HINTON, St. Louis, Missouri
• KELITA OZIER, St. Louis, Missouri
• MARQUITA STALLINGS, St. Louis, Missouri
• CATHERINE CRAWFORD, St. Louis, Missouri
• ROBERT WILLIAMS, St. Louis, Missouri
• JUSTINE CARTER, St. Louis, Missouri
• KIERA HALL, St. Louis, Missouri
• TY'ANDRA WILLIAMS, St. Louis, Missouri
• ESSICA GRIFFIN, St. Louis, Missouri
• NADAUNTE BROWN, St. Louis, Missouri
• DAVON STEWART, St. Louis, Missouri

If convicted, these charges carry a penalty range of up to 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.  In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by the Postal Inspection Service, Missouri Department of Revenue, Illinois Secretary of State, Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Tracy Berry is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.