Overview
- Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a 56-count complaint accusing 14 people of conspiracy, filing false sales tax returns, failing to file tax returns, perjury and money laundering.
- Authorities say the scheme concealed more than $20 million in high‑end vehicle purchases to avoid over $1.8 million in California taxes, involving cars such as a McLaren Elva, a Porsche 918 Spyder and a Ferrari F12TDF.
- Investigators allege that since 2018 the defendants submitted false CDTFA and DMV paperwork and bills of lading claiming out‑of‑state use while the vehicles were delivered, driven and stored in California.
- CDTFA and the DMV are auditing nearly 300 dealers and reviewing more than 2,500 sales linked to Montana registrations across roughly 500 California dealerships, with further enforcement actions expected.
- The DMV reports 80‑plus criminal investigations since 2023, identification of 601 fraudulently registered vehicles and about $2.3 million recovered, with hotspots including 416 suspicious sales in Beverly Hills and 99 in Mill Valley.