A sales manager at a car dealership in Astana tricked two owners into transferring their vehicles—a Changan CS55 Plus and a Toyota Camry—to third parties under the pretense of an imminent sale, then pocketed the proceeds, reports infohub.kz.
According to the Astana prosecutor's office, the victims had handed over their cars to the dealership for sale. The manager claimed he had already found buyers and persuaded the owners to re-register the vehicles in a third party's name, promising they would receive the payment within a few days.
After the re-registration, the man used the money as he saw fit. The total loss to the owners amounted to 23 million tenge.
During the trial, the defendant fully admitted his guilt and expressed remorse. The court found him guilty of fraud and sentenced him to 3 years and 4 months in prison. Civil claims for damages filed by the victims were also granted. The verdict has entered into force.
The prosecutor's office reminded that property crimes can carry penalties of up to 7 years in prison with confiscation of property.