Detectives arrested Jalal Din Jalali on suspicion of five counts of grand theft when the man surrendered to authorities Wednesday morning.
Jalali, 60, faces additional charges of conspiracy of grand theft auto, with enhancements for illegally taking in excess of $50,000, fraud or embezzlement exceeding $500,000, and commission of two or more related felonies involving fraud or embezzlement, according to Orange County Superior Court records.
David Gordon Emmott, 67, also surrendered to police Wednesday. He has been charged with nine counts of grand theft auto with enhancements for taking in excess of $50,000, fraud or embezzlement exceeding $500,000, and commission of two or more related felonies involving fraud or embezzlement, according to court records.
Earlier reports from prosecutors had them also charged with enhancements for use of a dangerous weapon, but that information was a mistake, police said.
About 30 victims filed complaints with Costa Mesa over the last six months. Many said they had to keep making payments on cars they no longer had, Sgt. Frank Rudisill said.
Some victims received letters in the mail from the bank notifying them they still owed money on a car loan that the new owner was supposed to assume, Rudisill said. Some were told their car was still on the lot when they called for a status report even though it had been sold weeks before, Rudisill said. Other victims got checks that later bounced, according to police. One victim said his checks had bounced for a year, police said.
Orange County prosecutors filed charges Thursday against Jalali, Emmott, Fuentes, Hua, and Patrick Norman McConnell, 63, according to court records. Police are still looking for McConnell, authorities said.
Jalali and the four other alleged co-conspirators had warrants issued for them Friday, authorities said.
Authorities began investigating Harbor Motors in the 2600 block of Harbor Boulevard when the complaints started pouring in earlier this year.
