NEWS

Mt. Auburn man indicted in $800,000 car dealership scam

Cameron Knight
cknight@enquirer.com
Jerry Agostini, Jr.

A Mount Auburn man is accused of scamming car and equipment dealerships in Butler, Hamilton, Warren and Kenton counties using false information and a dummy corporation, according to a press release from Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.

Jerry Agostini Jr., 52, is charged with eight counts of felony grand theft of a motor vehicle, 10 counts of felony theft by deception, and another 10 various felony counts related to theft, corruption and receiving stolen property, according to court records. He also faces one misdemeanor charge of theft of a check by deception.

DeWine alleges Agostini illegally secured vehicles, heavy equipment, loans and checks from the dealerships between January 2014 and March 2015.

“This scam hit several different businesses spanning multiple counties,” DeWine said. “Our goal was to work with local law enforcement agencies to help put the pieces together. Scams are a constant drain on the economy, and collaboration is critical to stopping them.”

Investigators claim Agostini would tell the dealerships he was seeking heavy-duty trucks and equipment for his business, Engineered Environment. They said he produced fabricated financial records to claim the business was a multi-million dollar construction company.

Nine vehicles have been recovered by investigators working the case.

Agostini is currently serving time in the Clermont County Jail, the release stated. His was sentenced in June for theft and identity theft.

He is scheduled to be arraigned during the first week of September in the Common Pleas Court in Warren County, where officials began this investigation.