Authorities said he was charged with three counts.
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The owner of a car restoration business tricked multiple people into sending him money for a 2002 Ford Excursion he listed for sale on social media sites, including Facebook, according to federal authorities.
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The Missouri man also took payments from people needing their vehicles repaired but then never did the work he was paid to do, authorities said.
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Ronald Johnson made at least $300,000 defrauding other people, then used that money to gamble and go on vacations with his girlfriend, according to a March 3 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
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Now the 55-year-old man from St. Peters has been indicted on two counts of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud, records show. All counts are felonies.
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Johnson pleaded not guilty on Feb. 24, according to court records.
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The defense attorney representing Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on Feb. 6.
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Authorities said Johnson owned Full Out Customs LLC, and from December 2021 to December 2022, he “sold” a 2002 Ford Excursion to more than one buyer. In the indictment filed in court, prosecutors said two people wired money from Pennsylvania and South Dakota for the SUV.
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He also created fake car titles and documents as part of the scheme, authorities said.
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St. Peters is about 30 miles northwest of downtown St. Louis.
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