NEWNAN, Ga. — At least one employee of a Coweta County car dealership is now charged with fraud against three different victims for allegedly forging signatures and income, as well as power booking, where the features of a vehicle are overstated on loans.
The Newnan Police report 11Alive obtained names three different victims.
One of the victims said in the report this dealership sold them a base-model vehicle, but a platinum model costing an extra $13,000 was listed on the loan.
Another victim reported some additional purchase agreements were added to her loan, and police noted in the report the signature on her papers appeared different than the signature on her driver's license.
Desiree LaRussa said she sent her daughter to Nissan of Newnan to have some work done on her car.
“They told her that her transmission was out, and it was going to leave her and her daughter stranded on the side of the road," LaRussa said.
She adds that Nissan of Newnan convinced her daughter to buy a truck that day.
“When I started looking through the documentation, there were forgeries on the documents," LaRussa explained. "I got them on a recording admitting to forgery on her documentation.”
LaRussa showed 11Alive a text message she said was from one of the dealership's employees claiming recording without consent is illegal, but that's not correct since Georgia is a one-party consent state.
She also showed us her daughter's known signature and the signature on the loan document she provided. Newnan Police noted in their report, "apparent difference in signature."
“They had lied to the lender about her salary on the documentation to get a loan she never would have been approved of," LaRussa said.
Her daughter ended up with a $700-per-month car payment, and her salary is $30,000 a year.
“They put down she makes about $60,000 a year," LaRussa said, adding the Kelley Blue Book value of the truck was $14,000, but the loan was for almost double that.
“It was worth less, way less, than they financed it for," she added.
The dealership eventually purchased the vehicle back from LaRussa's daughter and gave her $1,000 for her original vehicle that she used to get another used car.
John Lovell, the attorney for Nissan of Newnan, sent 11Alive the following statement:
"From the information I have been given, law enforcement is pushing the envelope in charging these gentlemen. I look forward to presenting additional evidence and proving their innocence."
“My message to them would be to go back several years and do a complete audit on every purchase that has gone through that dealership and make it right with all the victims, not just those of us who have come forward so far," LaRussa said.
She's since started a Facebook group called ‘Nissan of Newnan Victims’ to see if there are more people who had the same experience as her daughter.