A GREENACRE man has withdrawn his appeal against a three-year jail sentence for ripping off consumers by wiping almost one million kilometres off the odometers of eight vehicles, Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said today.
Mr Kean said the sentence was the longest handed down for a NSW Fair Trading prosecution under the Motor Dealers Act 1974.
Fadi Ahmad El Osman, 44, was convicted of 31 offences including eight counts of odometer tampering.
“The court found this crooked operator wound back the odometers of eight vehicles by a staggering total of 974,153 kilometres,” Mr Kean said.
“He then sold these vehicles to consumers, along with six others that he knew had false odometer readings, reaping hundreds of thousands of dollars in ill-gotten profits.
“His scam also involved swapping numberplates to hide the vehicles’ true identities, and falsifying records in warranty and service books to dupe consumers.”
Moamen Tahan, 31, of Georges Hall, and Samantha Hassan, 29, of Prestons, also copped severe penalties after they both pleaded guilty to four charges of fraud relating to the winding back of odometers, and selling the vehicles to unsuspecting consumers.
A couple has been ordered to pay more than $150,000 in compensation for winding back odometers.
Mr Kean said it was the first time defendants prosecuted by NSW Fair Trading had pleaded guilty to a Joint Criminal Enterprise and this was due to the strength of the prosecution case.
Tahan was sentenced to 21 months jail and Hassan was sentenced to an 18-month Intensive Corrections Order. The duo was also ordered to pay more than $150,000 in compensation to the victims. They have 28 days to appeal the severity of their sentences.
“These sentences stand as a stark warning to dodgy dealers and con artists — we’re putting consumers first, and we’re coming to get you,” Mr Kean said.
Article appeared in The Canterbury-Bankstown Express
