March 8, 2019 – A Delaware County Grand Jury has returned an indictment against 25-year-old Shane W. Ortega.
Charges come after the Bureau of Motor Vehicles Investigations Unit was notified of a questionable transaction initiated through Facebook Marketplace.
“A man reported he’d recently purchased a 2006 Honda Ridgeline with 145,000 miles for $6,450,” said Acting Prosecutor Christopher Betts. “The reportee went on to say that he believed the person who sold him the Honda, Shane Ortega, had purchased it just three days prior for $3,300, and that the odometer at that time read 337,724 miles.”
Ortega is charged with tampering with records – a third-degree felony, tampering with an odometer – a fifth-degree felony, and theft – a fifth-degree felony.
“Unfortunately, online scams and buyer beware stories are part of our daily lives,” said Betts. “When buying a vehicle in particular, it’s beneficial to go to the title agency together; that way if there are any issues with the title or anything else, those issues can be resolved before money changes hands.”
Other helpful tools when purchasing a vehicle include requesting or purchasing a vehicle history report. Such a report is available for buyers and sellers alike through various online vendors. These reports use the VIN number to detail things such as maintenance and ownership history as well as if the vehicle has been involved in a crash and more.
Visiting the state of Ohio website and doing a title search may also help in understanding the history of the for sale vehicle.
An arraignment date for Ortega is not yet set.