4 charged with netting $116,000 in vehicle scam [Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.]

July 16--A Latrobe used car dealer and three others have been charged with defrauding a Somerset car dealership out of more than $116,000, according to state police.

State police filed charges of theft against:

--Michael Jay Bartow, 49, of Latrobe, who operates Mike's Car Lot on Route 30 in Unity.

--Larry Keith Sobinsky, 51, of Youngstown, who worked for Bartow.

--David Lee Humbert, 43, of Greensburg, former used car manager for TriStar Motors in Somerset.

--Gina Maureen Crossman, 42, of Cresson, Cambria County, secretary at the dealership.

They were arraigned before District Judge Arthur Cook in Somerset and released on their own recognizance.

According to police, Humbert was working for TriStar Motors when he allegedly sold 128 cars to Bartow over 16 months.

Humbert undervalued the vehicles he sold to Bartow so they could resell them at a higher price and make a larger profit, understating the profits to TriStar Motors, according to police.

The alleged scam allowed the defendants to reap $116,350 between October 2006 and February 2008, according to the charges.

State police began their investigation after TriStar received a vehicle in trade in October 2007. Humbert used a dealer's plate on the car for his personal use, according to the complaint. He allowed a family member to drive the car, which was involved in an accident in late 2007.

State police said Humbert made a false claim with an insurance company on the car, which actually was owned by TriStar. The insurer paid Humbert $7,770.

Crossman, who worked as a secretary at TriStar, endorsed the check without authorization, and Humbert deposited the money into his personal account.

Humbert's vehicles sales license is inactive, according to the state Motor Vehicle Board. Bartow and Sobinsky's licenses are still active, according to the board.

To see more of the Tribune-Review or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/.

Copyright (c) 2010, Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544)