NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. (October 11, 2006) - Criminal charges related to odometer tampering, counselling sales tax evasion and selling vehicles without a valid motor dealer licence, has landed a North Vancouver man a three-month jail sentence and fines totalling $23,000.
Ramin Karamali had been charged following a joint investigation by ICBC, Motor Dealer Council of BC (MDC) and the RCMP. Karamali, also known as Raymond, and sometimes with the surname Caramel, Carmali or Karmali, was operating as a so-called "curber," an unlicensed person unlawfully engaged in the business of selling cars to the public.
The investigation began in the fall of 2004 and ultimately involved the study of 35 vehicles. Evidence in the case demonstrated that Karamali routinely rolled back odometers an average of 100,000 kilometres per car, and forged documents to reduce the sales tax payable on transactions.
As part of a plea agreement, a charge with respect to forged documents was dropped, as well as charges against Karamali's common law wife Mandana Mansouri Tehrani.
Judge William Rodgers, in North Vancouver Provincial
Court, fined Karamali $1,000 for selling cars without a valid Motor
Dealer Licence and $2,000 for the sales tax offense, as recommended
by the Crown Prosecutor, but he disagreed with the Crown with
respect to a recommended fine on the odometer charges.
Judge Rodgers said, "The practice of rolling back an odometer
amounts to lying and cheating." He quoted a judicial precedent that
emphasized a need to "protect the public against dishonesty and
insofar as it is possible the courts must take account of that
particular purpose and give effect to it."
He fined
Karamali $20,000 on the odometer charge, as well as three months in
jail and a one year probation. The Judge ruled that the jail time
could be served intermittently, Sundays through Tuesdays.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Judy McRae
Motor Dealer Council of BC
#150 - 6400 Roberts Street
Burnaby, B.C.V5G 4C9
Phone: 604-293-3521 Fax: 604-294-9313
www.mdcbc.com
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