Trio Charged in Used-Car Auction Scheme
Couple, associate indicted on charges they faked auto sales for millions.

If convicted on the charges, each defendant faces up to 30 years in prison.
IMAGE: Pexels/Shane West
Three people were indicted on charges they conducted a fraud scheme against a Tennessee used-auto auction company.
A federal grand jury returned indictments on charges Jerry W. Hutchins and married couple Brian and Stephanie Louise Baker engaged in wire fraud and money laundering to defraud Dealers Auto Auction Group.
From February 2017 to November 2018, Stephanie Baker managed the group’s Murfreesboro location, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee. At the time, Hutchins and Brian Baker each owned a used-car dealership that did business with the group, and the three created transaction records of fake vehicle sales at the group’s auctions, getting paid for sales that never happened and pocketing the money for personal expenses, the attorney’s office said. Each month, the defendants generated more fake transactions of the same vehicles to cover their earlier fraud “and avoid detection,” it said, amassing more than $2 million in payments.
The defendants were taken into federal custody and made an initial appearance before a magistrate. If convicted on the charges, each faces up to 30 years in prison.
The grand jury included in its indictment an allegation seeking to forfeit property acquired from the alleged auction transactions, money judgements of more than $2 million from Stephanie Baker, more than $1 million from Brian Baker and nearly $685,000 from Hutchins.
Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today
More Showroom

Used EVs Outpace New
While North American electric-vehicle sales remain down year-over-year, May sales saw a 3% increase from April’s numbers as used EVs led the market.
Read More →
New Vehicles Down for Most Brands
Healthy May sales cut into inventory as automakers kept a tight reign on supply, though some brands ended the month with excess units on the ground.
Read More →
Auto Prices Ride May Moderation
Flat ATPs and asking prices clocked in below long-term averages for the month, though some segments saw significant price gains, reported Cox Automotive.
Read More →
Mitsubishi Sets Growth Strategy, Structural Transformation
The Japanese automaker aims to 'strengthen products and technologies that embody its brand identity,' focus on its strongest markets and expand value-chain businesses 'that leverage its unique strengths.'
Read More →
Affordable, Safe Cars for Teen Drivers
Families looking to balance affordability and safety in vehicles for their teen drivers can look to the updated list of recommended vehicles by IIHS and Consumer Reports.
Read More →
Auto Dealers Feel Better But Not Great
A second-quarter Cox Automotive poll of franchised retailers and independents found better views of the current market after a good spring but anticipation of third-quarter storminess.
Read More →
Holman Opens Porsche Dealership in Miami
The North Miami store features the brand’s signature Destination Porsche design concept, combining contemporary architecture and technology to create what the auto group calls an ultra-luxury experience.
Read More →
Chicago to Gain Cadillac Rooftop in 2027
The two-story Cadillac dealership is being constructed at the former Lincoln Yards site, owned and operated by Canada-based Jack Carter Auto Group.
Read More →
Mid-Atlantic Ford Store Has New Owner
A growing Maryland automotive group is only the 93-year-old dealership’s third owner after its longtime proprietors retired.
Read More →
Porsche Dealership Breaks Ground in Illinois
Barrington Porsche will be the new location for Murgado Automotive Group’s existing Porsche dealership currently in the Motor Werks of Barrington auto mall.
Read More →