Broward Man Accused Of Running Salvaged Car Scam

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4 ) - The deals sounded great -- used cars with low mileage and clean histories.

But as a dozen people in Florida and Alabama soon learned what sounded good turned out to be too good to be true.

Darryl Rivernider, 65, faces dozens of criminal charges -- including organized scheme to defraud -- accused of selling cars without telling customers of their damage histories.

Broward Sheriff's investigators accuse Rivernider of buying cars that had sustained extensive damage from flooding or accidents, having them repaired and selling them.

Carol Brisbane said she bought a 2003 Honda Accord from Rivernider for her teenage daughter last July. The ad for the car in a local paper promised a car with low mileage, at a great price and in immaculate condition.

"It showed very, very nicely," she told CBS 4's Carey Codd.

Brisbane said Rivernider showed her a Carfax report showing the car had a clean history.

She and her husband bought the car for just under $11,000. Today, it's worth about $3,000.

Several months went by and one day the title to the car arrived in a handwritten envelope from Rivernider in the mail. The Brisbane's opened it and saw something that shocked them: the title said the Honda was rebuilt and had sustained flood damage.

"He never told us at all," Brisbane said. "He never disclosed it."

This mother is too afraid to let her daughter drive the car. She said the engine light comes on and she has seen rust spots on the carpet, which is coming away from the frame of the car in a few spots.

"I'm petrified to have my daughter drive it," she said. "I'm worried that if it's a flooded vehicle that she could be driving it and it could short out."

BSO detective Scott Schaefer has been investigating the case for 7 months. He says Rivernider cheated a dozen people out of $160,000.

"He was just trying to sell the vehicles and make money," Schaefer said. "At any cost. No matter what the safety was for the victims and the people driving those wrecked vehicles or flood damaged vehicles."

Schaefer said Rivernider has been known to authorities for years.

"This individual"s been conducting this same exact scam for about 30 years," he said. "From Massachusetts to Volusia County to Alachua County."

Rivernider is in the North Broward Jail and is being held because he's on probation in two other counties. His attorney told a judge Thursday that Rivernider suffers from health issues.

Schaefer said Rivernider would do anything to earn a customer's trust.

"He's been known to place Bibles on desks and to use that as a form of leverage," Schaefer said. "He's also been known to say he's part of the Masons."

We tried to reach a family member at Rivernider's waterfront home in Fort Lauderdale but no one answered the door. His attorney did not return a call for comment.

Carol Brisbane feels duped and wishes she'd never met Darryl Rivernider.

"I don't understand how he sleeps with himself," she said. "I just think it's totally wrong and he needs to be prosecuted and pay for his crimes."

Broward Sheriff's detectives continue to investigate others in connection with this case. They said if others have been victimized, BSO wants to hear from them.