Yahoo Autos Florida Porsche Salesman Finally Arrested in 911 Deposit Scam
UPDATE 4/4/2019: Shiraaz Sookralli, the former Porsche salesman who is alleged to have conned customers out of more than $2.5 million, was arrested Tuesday in Florida, according to multiple reports. He faces felony charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering. The Drive reports he will be arraigned on April 16.
UPDATE 10/3/2018: Champion Porsche says it will reimburse customers for their stolen deposits by October 12. The dealership’s lawyer told Automotive News it wants to "make sure that these victims-that's what we're calling them-come out of this from a customer satisfaction perspective as satisfied as possible."
A salesman at the nation's top-selling Porsche dealership may have scammed more than two dozen customers in a scheme that funneled deposits for the sought-after 911 GT3 and GT3 RS into the salesman's personal bank account, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Florida and reported on in depth by The Drive.
Champion Porsche of Pompano Beach, Florida, sued the former employee last week for fraud, alleging that Shiraaz Sookralli, previously vice president of marketing, disappeared with more than $2.5 million in customer deposits. The dealership itself claims to have no knowledge of the scheme, although in 2016, Sookralli and Champion Porsche were named in a separate lawsuit by a customer over the delayed delivery and overcharging of two 911 R models, including bounced checks from Sookralli, according to court documents. Around this time, the filings show, Champion Porsche had been garnishing Sookralli's wages to pay his six-figure debt with American Express.
Sookralli allegedly set up shell companies to collect customer deposits on Porsche's most sought-after models (such as the 911 R and GT3 RS) that even large dealerships like Champion only receive in limited allocations. To that end, customers either never received their cars or received the wrong cars that allegedly were ordered by other customers in the dealership. Sookralli is unreachable and all of the customer money is missing, the suit said. Porsche Cars North America has referred complaints to Champion Porsche, which has referred them to its own lawyers, according to spokeswoman Jade Wade. There is no way of knowing whether the scam victims will receive their deposits or if Champion will be implicated in a separate lawsuit.
('You Might Also Like',)
