Former auto dealer admits to ripping off customers

A former Williamsburg automobile dealer has pleaded guilty to stealing from customers in nine different cases, and will have to serve six months in jail and pay restitution as part of his plea agreement.

Bill Clontz, 49, of Berea, had been scheduled to stand trial last Wednesday in Whitley Circuit Court, but instead entered a guilty plea to nine counts of theft and one count of forgery.

In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors recommended that Clontz receive a one-year prison sentence on each count for a total of 10 years in prison.

After Clontz serves six months in jail, prosecutors are recommending that the remainder of his sentence be probated for five years or until the restitution is paid in full.

“We tried to balance and fashion the recommendation on this to allow the victims to have their financial restitution,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Allen Trimble.

“He took advantage of a lot of people and there was a lot of hardship that a lot of people had to endure. I was of the opinion that some jail time was required as punishment for that.”

Trimble said the exact amount of restitution could take some time to calculate.

In one instance, Clontz took a vehicle as a trade-in where the owner still owed $15,000. The owner planned to use the trade-in amount to pay off her old vehicle, and to pay for part of the new vehicle she was purchasing.

“He didn’t pay off the vehicle she was trading in and never gave her a title to the one she borrowed the money on to purchase, so she has $30,000 or $40,000 due in restitution,” Trimble said.

He said other cases are simpler to calculate where Clontz allegedly sold someone an extended warranty for $500 to $600, but never actually obtained it for them.

“It was an intentional effort to defraud people, and to make money from his wrongful actions,” Trimble said. “At least he’s out of the auto dealership business here in Whitley County.”

Clontz, owner of Williamsburg Automotive Group, and Steven Back Jr., 56, of London, who worked as a salesman at the auto dealership, were initially charged by police on Feb. 19 for theft related to a pair of July 2007 auto sales.

As a result of the plea agreement, Trimble said his office would dismiss all charges against Back.

“Clontz was the figure, who was doing this. Anything that Back did, I believe was done at the direction of Clontz,” Trimble noted.

Williamsburg Automotive Group closed last year.

Trimble said his office has received about 30 different complaints about Clontz, but that some of the allegations don’t rise to the level of a criminal offense and will have to be settled in civil court.
He said that if someone comes in with a future criminal allegation similar to the ones already made against Clontz, then there are provisions in the plea agreement where those people could receive restitution.

Otherwise, they would have to pursue any claims through civil court.

Trimble noted that over the last three years, his office has received numerous complaints about used car dealers allegedly defrauding people.

“We’ve had some real serious problems in the sale of used cars where people have not been able to get titles or part of their trade-in has not been paid off,” Trimble said.

“We’ve had other instances where people have given their information to car dealers, and used car dealers have used that information to obtain loans that people were unaware were in their name.”
He said the big thing is that people need to be aware and make sure they are dealing with a reputable dealer when making a car purchase.

“Most car dealers are fine people to do business with and they treat you fairly,” Trimble said. “If you don’t know them, then you probably need to check them out and see what their reputation is.”