Ex-North Hills Car Salesman Gets Prison In Odometer Fraud Scheme

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A former San Fernando Valley car salesman was sentenced Monday to a year in federal prison for rolling back odometers for people who exceeded mileage limits on their leases.

Jeffrey Levy, 62, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release upon getting out of prison and to pay restitution of about $115,800 to the owners of 21 cars with altered odometers.

U.S. District Judge George H. King ordered that $35,000 of the amount be paid immediately.

Levy was also prohibited from employment related to the purchase, sale, leasing, or financing of new or used motor vehicles during the period of supervised release and ordered him to undergo treatment for mental health issues and a gambling addiction.

Prosecutors say while working at Galpin Ford in North Hills, Levy referred customers and friends to co-defendant Shamai Salpeter, 65, over a period of three years in a scheme in which people paid up to $400 to avoid penalties for exceeding mileage limits on leases or to increase auto trade-in values.

Salpeter previously pleaded guilty and is expected to be sentenced April 13.

Both men pleaded to conspiracy to commit odometer tampering.

Salpeter was the subject of a 2012 hidden-camera investigation of odometer fraud by CBS2 investigative reporter David Goldstein.

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