SAUGUS — Massachusetts State Police are investigating fraudulent auto purchasing and sales by a used car dealership on Route 1 and recommending the town take away the business’s licensing.
Ed Brown, the owner of Route 1 Auto Sales, died last summer, according to a letter obtained by The Item from Trooper Robert Johnson. Since his death, the license has been held by his wife, Beverly.
The building and the property are both empty and the business is no longer in existence, yet Johnson said he has seen titles and sales documents indicating that the business has fraudulently purchased vehicles at auction from other dealers as recently as March. The person, or people, purchasing and selling the vehicles is using a stamp purporting to be the owner of Route 1 Auto Sales. Johnson sent copies of the documents to the town.
The agency is recommending the town’s Board of Selectmen revoke the auto license issued to the business.
“I understand that the license can be sold, but (the transaction) must be approved by the Board of Selectmen and that has not occurred,” Johnson wrote to the panel.
Selectmen called a show cause hearing Wednesday night, but it was pushed back until the panel’s next meeting because nobody showed up.
“Even though we reached out to the license holder, you can see that they’re not here,” said chairwoman Debra Panetta.
Panetta and Town Manager Scott Crabtree recommended referring the issue to the Saugus Police Department for further investigation. If Saugus police became involved in the investigation, they would be able to testify so that the board could do its job appropriately, said Crabtree.
“I would feel more comfortable if the license holder, even though we reached out, was actually here for this vote,” said Panetta.
Selectman Jeff Cicolini said that if it was important to them, the licensee would be there.
“I don’t want to use our resources to find what we already know transpired,” he said. “I’m fine with referring this to the police but unless they find something that contradicts the report of the trooper that we have, which is pretty harsh, I, for one, would support revoking this auto dealer’s license.”
