The former owners of Fremont RV Center in South Sioux City, Nebraska, are facing 60 days or more in jail and thousands of dollars in fines and restitution after being found guilty of defrauding more than a dozen customers over the past four years.
According to a report by Sioux City Journal, Douglas Bras, 62, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of theft by deception, while Shara Bras, 57, pleaded no contest to 11 counts of theft by deception.
The couple also faced charges for allegedly selling or disposing of a motor vehicle without delivering a title or VIN number, issuing a bad check, second-degree forgery, intentional abuse of a senior adult, and violation of the motor vehicle certificate of title act.
The charges related to the couple’s practice of selling campers on consignment and using the sales proceeds to pay their own bills and debts, rather than paying the campers’ owners.
The fraudulent activity was found to have taken place between July 2019 and March 2022, and involved 17 victims.
Under the terms of separate plea agreements, both Douglas and Shara agreed that their attorneys and prosecutors will recommend a 60-day jail sentence, per the report.
However, prosecutors will have the option to seek an additional 360 days of jail for Douglas Bras and 270 days for Shara Bras.
In addition, Shara Bras will be fined $7,500 and ordered to pay $12,172 in restitution to the victims, while Douglas Bras will be fined $5,000 and must pay $12,319 in restitution.
Both will be placed on five years’ probation and assigned 100 hours of community service.
The couple was arrested in April 2022 following a months-long investigation in which buyers and sellers of more than a dozen campers or RVs reported to police they had received checks for insufficient funds after their campers were sold.
Customers also reported paying Fremont RV for items that were never ordered and received.
Sentencing for the Hinton, Iowa, couple is scheduled for June 21 in Dakota County District Court. The remaining charges against each will be dismissed.
This case highlights the importance of conducting business with honesty and integrity. The RV industry is built on trust and transparency, and customers rely on dealerships and salespeople to provide accurate information and fair deals. When businesses engage in fraudulent activities, it erodes the trust that customers have in the industry, and this can have long-term consequences.
The RV industry has been experiencing significant growth in recent years, and this news serves as a reminder that businesses must operate ethically and transparently to maintain this growth.