Ontario used car chain to face fraud charges: police
Last Updated: Friday, May 18, 2007 | 11:19 AM ET
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Charges are pending in an alleged multi-million fraud case after hundreds of customers complained about an Ontario used car dealership, police say.
RCMP raided Find-A-Car's Kingston, Ont., location and seized documents on Wednesday.
They said locations in Ottawa, Trenton and North Bay are also being investigated. The company also has a location in Montreal.
"Hundreds of complainants have come forward," RCMP Cpl. Nancy Mason told CBC Thursday. "We've got a lot of really disheartened and financially impacted individuals — people that have had to declare bankruptcy and have lost everything they have."
Customers questioned on car loans
Police provided little detail about the allegations, but said they've been investigating the business over the past year.
Find-A-Car president Ryan O'Connor did reveal Thursday that police have questioned his customers about their car loans.
O'Connor held a news conference Thursday after reports of the raid appeared in local media.
He complained about the conduct of police and said the raid was heavy-handed.
"This has definitely tarnished a reputation that I've put my life on the line to build," said O'Connor, who said some customers had called the company to offer support.
The company's online flyer advertises dealership locations in Montreal, and four in Ontario, including one on Perth Street in Ottawa's Richmond Village. It says the company has over 500 cars in stock at "unbeatable" prices and encourages customers to apply online for financing whether they have good credit, bad credit, no credit or are bankrupt.
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