A man has been sentenced to five years in prison for leading a scheme to fraudulently register vehicles in Missouri by bribing employees at motor vehicle license offices. U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp handed down the sentence to Gary Wilds, 48, on Tuesday and ordered him to pay $335,218 in restitution, including $319,778 to the state of Missouri.
According to court documents, Wilds paid bribes to employees so they would falsely report that vehicles had passed emissions and safety inspections and that owners had fulfilled property tax obligations or had proof of insurance. He also arranged for forged documents indicating eligibility for sales tax exemptions, reducing tax assessments from thousands of dollars per vehicle to as little as $11.
Wilds enlisted Michelle Boyer and Megan Leone in his operation. When Leone became manager at one office, she instructed her subordinate Ashlyn Graeff—who began working there in 2018—to complete fraudulent registrations for Wilds. He paid his recruits up to $100 per transaction. Initially, Graeff processed one or two fraudulent registrations per week but eventually handled up to 10 daily.
Some customers of Pinnacle Concierge, Wilds’ business, were aware their vehicles could not pass emissions tests or that they faced legal barriers such as outstanding child support orders or registration bans from other agencies. These individuals knowingly participated in the fraudulent scheme. Others who were unaware have suffered financial losses because only part of their fees reached the state; after their registrations were revoked due to fraud detection, these customers now face unpaid taxes and penalties before they can legally register their vehicles.
In one case detailed in Wilds’ plea agreement, he and Graeff registered a 2022 Dodge Ram on September 13, 2022. The customer was told that $1,350 would cover all fees and taxes owed; however, only $14.50 was sent to the Missouri Department of Revenue after submitting a false form claiming the truck weighed 24,000 pounds and was leased to an interstate carrier.
Wilds pleaded guilty in June to multiple charges: conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud (one count), wire fraud (22 counts), aggravated identity theft (four counts), and making false statements (six counts). Graeff pleaded guilty to three counts of making false statements; Leone admitted guilt on one count each of conspiracy and making a false statement; Boyer pleaded guilty to conspiracy as well.
Sentencing details include Boyer receiving five years probation with an order for restitution totaling $206,847 on September 18; Graeff receiving four years probation with restitution set at $84,554 on July 17; Leone is scheduled for sentencing October 8.
The investigation was conducted by the Missouri Department of Revenue alongside the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
