BUFFALO, N.Y. — A 65-year-old Lancaster man is heading to prison for the next three to six years for admitting to illegally operating used car dealerships.
Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case sentenced Richard Giza as a second felony offender. Giza admitted that between May 2010 until May 2016 he sold cars but never transferred the titles or filed the proper paperwork to those who bought them. He also admitted falsifying DMV forms by failing to indicate that he sold the cars.
In addition, Giza collected over $122,000 in sales tax from the sale of the vehicles, and failed to report it .
He pleaded guilty to numerous charges in November, 2017, including grand larceny, forgery, insurance fraud and falsifying business records. His sentence was delayed numerous times due to health issues and COVID-19 related court delays.
“For far too long, Mr. Giza has operated crooked car dealerships to scam customers, insurance companies and the taxpayers of New York State,” said Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn. “He has avoided being sentenced for the crimes he pleaded guilty to nearly three years ago, so I am pleased to see that he will be serving a period of incarceration.”
As part of his sentence, Giza was also order to pay $122,190.45 in restitution.
