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Georgia Man Convicted in NHTSA Crash-Car Scam

Anastosious Hatzopoulas of Carrollton, GA, pleaded guilty to 18 counts of altering vehicle titles and theft by deception so he could sell NHTSA crash cars to unsuspecting victims. Used in NHTSA endurance and safety tests, the cars are eventually sold at GSA auctions but prohibited from highway use. Hatzopoulas purchased them at auction, repaired and retitled them to conceal their condition and history, and then sold them over the Internet. A Superior Court judge of Carroll County, GA, ordered the defendant to forfeit 32 vehicles that law enforcement agencies had seized and pay a fine of $6,339. OIG conducted the investigation jointly with the Carrollton Police Department and GSA OIG.