Laurel and Baltimore Residents Indicted for Alleged Odometer Tampering and Securities Fraud Scheme

Two Maryland residents have been formally accused of a conspiracy to manipulate odometer readings and committing securities fraud, according to a federal indictment that could potentially send them to prison for a compounded sentence totaling more years than some will live to see. According to the

U.S. Attorney’s Office

, Jerry John Mathins, 50, and Braysean Owens, 23, respectively, hail from Laurel and Baltimore, and as alleged, they have dipped their hands into fraudulent darkness where significance lies not in the lifting of objects but in the lowering of numbers—the mileage on used vehicles. The duo lowered odometer readings on used cars sold through Rosedale’s B-City Auto & Detailing, duping buyers into paying far more than the cars were worth.

It is a scheme that sought to relentlessly exploit the trust, to perpetually hide the truth under the heavy cloak of deception, forming an illusion maintained by altered titles that misrepresented the true distances those cars had traveled. “This was an elaborate scheme that targeted hundreds of unsuspecting car buyers who trusted they were purchasing cars with accurate mileage,” FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno stated. This fraudulent activity has prompted federal authorities to aggressively pursue those involved, aiming to fully bring to light the alleged underhanded tactics of Jerry John Mathins and Braysean Owens.

In his public address,

U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron

underscored the importance of consumer protection, vowing to “investigate and hold accountable” those who engage in such deceptive practices. Indeed, the case at hand is a stark reminder of how some will secure the hard-earned money of individuals unawares misleadingly. If convicted, Owens could confront up to 10 years for each count of securities fraud, while Mathins faces up to 5 years for his role in the conspiracy.

With help from state and local agencies, the FBI and the Department of Transportation are working together to stop odometer fraud, which costs U.S. consumers over $1 billion annually. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adeyemi Adenrele and Michael Hanlon are leading the case, and it’s now up to the court to decide if those accused will be convicted.

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