Show-Me State Times

A man was sentenced to five years in prison for leading a scheme to fraudulently register vehicles in Missouri by bribing employees at motor vehicle license offices. U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp handed down the sentence on Tuesday, ordering Gary Wilds, 48, to pay $335,218 in restitution, with $319,778 directed to the state of Missouri.

According to court documents, Wilds paid bribes to employees so they would falsely report that vehicles had passed emissions and safety inspections and that owners had fulfilled property tax and insurance requirements. He also arranged for forged documents to be submitted claiming eligibility for sales tax exemptions, reducing tax assessments from thousands of dollars per vehicle to as little as $11.

Wilds recruited Michelle Boyer and Megan Leone into the conspiracy. When Leone became manager at one office, she instructed Ashlyn Graeff—her subordinate who began working there in 2018—to process fraudulent registrations for Wilds. "Wilds paid his recruits up to $100 for each transaction," according to the press release. The number of fraudulent registrations completed by Graeff increased over time from one or two per week up to ten per day.

Some customers of Pinnacle Concierge, Wilds’ business, were aware their vehicles could not pass legal requirements such as emissions tests or had other disqualifying issues like outstanding child support orders or prior bans from registering vehicles. Others were unaware of the fraud; these customers lost money because only part of their fees were remitted to the state and their registrations were later revoked. They now must pay unpaid taxes and penalties before being able to properly register their vehicles.

One example cited involved a 2022 Dodge Ram registered on September 13, 2022: "Wilds told his customer that $1,350 would satisfy the fees and taxes due, but Wilds only sent $14.50 to the Missouri Department of Revenue." Fraudulent forms claimed false details about the vehicle’s weight and leasing status in order to avoid paying sales taxes.

Wilds pleaded guilty in June to charges including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, multiple counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, as well as making false statements. Graeff pleaded guilty to three counts of making a false statement; Leone pleaded guilty both to conspiracy charges and making a false statement; Boyer pleaded guilty on conspiracy charges as well.

Sentences varied among co-conspirators: Boyer received five years’ probation plus an order for restitution totaling $206,847; Graeff was sentenced in July 2024 to four years’ probation with an order for $84,554 restitution; Leone is scheduled for sentencing on October 8.

The investigation was conducted by the Missouri Department of Revenue together with the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry prosecuted the case.