Atlanta, GA - Everett Tripodis, 30, of Fayetteville, Ga., was sentenced May 24 by United States District Judge Orinda D. Evans on charges of tampering with a vehicle identification number (VIN), mail fraud and conspiracy to transport a stolen motor vehicle in interstate commerce.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said, “These offenses are egregious because in 2001 Tripodis was convicted of federal charges for virtually the same conduct.

Less than five months after he was released from prison, he became involved in another car theft and car title fraud scheme.

Fortunately, law enforcement officials were able to arrest Tripodis again before he undermined the car title systems of the states of Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi.”

Tripodis was sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Tripodis was convicted of these charges on Nov. 29, 2006.

According to Nahmias and the information presented in court, Tripodis used the Internet to visit websites such as “Auto Trader” in order to obtain vehicle descriptions and vehicle identification numbers (VINs).

Tripodis then caused others to apply for and obtain duplicate titles for vehicles which were actually sitting on dealer lots and had never been sold.

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles then mailed the fraudulently obtained titles to mailboxes maintained by associates of Tripodis.

Tripodis would then obtain stolen motor vehicles and switch the VINs on the stolen vehicles so that they would match the VINs on the fraudulently obtained duplicate titles.

He also fraudulently acquired duplicate Mississippi and Tennessee titles. Tripodis and a co-conspirator were arrested when they attempted to sell one of the stolen vehicles in Chattanooga, Tenn.

This case was investigated by special agents of the FBI, the Georgia Department of Revenue, the Atlanta Police Department and the Chattanooga Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Plummer prosecuted the case.

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