The U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed that Gary Wilds, owner of Pinnacle Concierge, bribed Missouri license office employees to falsely report that customer vehicles passed emissions and safety inspections. He also had them submit forged documents claiming eligibility for sales tax exemptions.
So far, four individuals have admitted to fraudulently registering vehicles in Missouri, leading to over $80,000 in lost tax revenue for the state.
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Among them are three former license office employees—Ashlynn Graeff, Megan Leone, and Michelle Boyer—and Wilds himself, whose business helped clients register vehicles with the Missouri Department of Revenue.
Prosecutors stated that Wilds paid the employees to file false information indicating vehicles met emissions and safety standards. He also bribed them to process fake documents showing that vehicle owners qualified for sales tax breaks, slashing tax assessments from thousands of dollars to as little as $11 per vehicle.
While some of Wilds’ clients knew about the scheme, others remained unaware and suffered financial consequences. Wilds paid only a fraction of the actual taxes owed, leaving unsuspecting owners responsible for the remaining balance.
Wilds started bribing Leone in 2017 to handle the fraudulent vehicle registrations and tax exemptions. After Leone’s promotion to manager, she passed the task to her subordinate, Graeff, who filed up to 10 fake registrations daily and received $100 per transaction from Wilds, according to the press release.
Boyer began her involvement with Wilds as early as 2015.
In March, Graeff pleaded guilty to three counts of making a false statement. The court sentenced her to four years of probation and ordered her to repay $84,554.
On Wednesday, Wilds pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 22 counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, and six counts of making a false statement. His sentencing is set for Sept. 2.
Leone pleaded guilty in December to one count each of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and making a false statement. Boyer entered a guilty plea last month to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Sentencing for Leone and Boyer is scheduled for July 24 and Aug. 21, respectively.
