|
Home Search |
Published on Tuesday, February 18, 2003
in the Palm Beach Post
PALM BEACH GARDENS -- Florida Highway Patrol investigators say they have uncovered 23 more car buyers claiming to be victimized by a father and son who reportedly turned back odometers on cars they sold.
Albino Rende, 72, of 6 Dorchester Circle and Raymond Rende, 33, of 120 Thornton Drive were charged Jan. 31 with organized scheme to defraud for reducing the recorded mileage as much as 100,000 miles on as many as 100 cars they then sold at a premium, troopers said.
The Rendes, who are free on $53,000 bond each, also were charged with odometer fraud, title fraud, sales tax fraud and petty theft.
Both have denied any wrongdoing.
All of the 23 new cases were in Palm Beach County, except for two in Moore Haven in Glades County, Cpl. Anthony Caserta Jr. said.
An example of the latest cases involved a 1992 Lincoln Town Car that the Rendes bought with 80,000 miles on it and turned back the odometer to 17,000 miles, Caserta said.
Of the 23, only about seven or eight will be added to the Rendes' case. That's because the other 15 or 16 buyers committed title fraud by certifying to the county tax collector's office they had paid less than they actually did to avoid paying a higher sales tax, Caserta said. Those cases will be handled administratively because of that, he said.
Those who illegally avoided paying the correct sales tax will have to pay it.
So far 12 cases connected with the Rendes' Jan. 31 arrests have been brought against the father and son.
Albino Rende told investigators he is a disabled military veteran, and his son said he was an ex-golf pro who competes in long driving contests.