Press Article: Fraud Scheme Leads to $80,000 Loss in Missouri Tax Revenue
ST. LOUIS—Four individuals, including three former employees of vehicle and driver’s license offices, admitted to participating in a scheme that fraudulently registered motor vehicles in Missouri, costing the state over $80,000 in tax revenue.
The scheme centered around Gary Wilds, owner of Pinnacle Concierge, whose business facilitated vehicle registrations with the Missouri Department of Revenue. Prosecutors revealed that Wilds bribed office employees—Ashlynn Graeff, Megan Leone, and Michelle Boyer—to falsely claim that vehicles had passed required emissions tests and safety inspections. They submitted forged documents to attain sales tax exemptions, drastically reducing tax assessments from thousands of dollars to as little as $11.
While some customers were aware of these illicit practices, many were left unaware and faced significant financial repercussions due to the discrepancies between the taxes owed and what was actually paid to the Department of Revenue.
Wilds, who began this fraudulent activity in 2017, paid Graeff $100 per fraudulent transaction, with Graeff reportedly submitting up to ten false registrations daily. Legal proceedings have led to guilty pleas from Graeff and Leone, with Graeff receiving a four-year probation sentence and ordered to pay substantial restitution.
Wilds recently pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, with sentencing set for September 2. Leone and Boyer face upcoming sentencing on July 24 and August 21, respectively.
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