Two men engaged in an alleged auto resale scam have turned themselves in to the Monroe Police Department and face multiple larceny and fraud charges.
According to a report in The Monroe Sun, Edgar D. Gonzalez of Monroe and Elmer Pacheo-Diaz of Stratford advertised an automobile for sale on Facebook Marketplace last fall and sold it to a Monroe resident in a cash transaction that took place in a Monroe parking lot. with an altered odometer and title. The buyer was unable to register the vehicle and discovered the odometer was altered from its actual 219,000 miles to a fraudulent 121,000 miles.
Through an investigation, the police were able to identify Gonzalez and Pacheco-Diaz as suspects and applied for arrest warrants. Gonzalez was charged with third-degree telephone fraud, second-degree criminal attempt at larceny, second-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, third-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, two counts of first-degree conspiracy to commit forgery, and first-degree conspiracy to commit illegal tampering with an odometer and violation of conditions of release. He is being held on a $75,000 bond.
Pacheco-Diaz was charged with first-degree forgery, first-degree conspiracy to commit forgery, second-degree larceny, third-degree larceny, second-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, third-degree conspiracy to commit larceny and illegal tampering with an odometer. He was released after posting a $50,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 3.
