WESTMORELAND -- An Oneida County used car dealer who admitted to overcharging customers for registration and document fees will spend the next three years on probation.
Matthew Crever, the former owner and operator of the Auto One group in Westmoreland, was sentenced to probation along with 100 hours of community service and a $1,000 fine. He will also have to pay more than $26,000 in restitution to numerous victims.
In January, he pleaded guilty to petit larceny and scheme to defraud.
Crever was arrested after a five month investigation into allegations of overcharging car buyers for registration and document fees over four years.
The Attorney General's office says Auto One offered customers the opportunity to pay their DMV registration fees directly to the dealership. For customers who did not have a trade-in, the dealership typically charged them $150, but the actual cost was only $115. For customers who did have a trade-in, the dealership typically charged $110 for registration fees, with the actual cost starting at $57.75. An investigation by the Attorney General's Office determined the dealer was keeping the difference.
