Stanley Dean Torgerson’s booking photo. Photo courtesy of AZJails.info.
In May of 2011, a grand jury in Maricopa County, Arizona, handed down a 101-count indictment for fraud against Stanley Dean Torgerson, the owner of International Classic Auctions and automobile dealership Arizona Connection. If convicted on all 101 counts, Torgerson could have faced life in prison, but thanks to a plea deal struck with prosecutors (in the works since last November), Torgerson has been sentenced to 39 months in prison, followed by seven years of supervised probation.
The convictions stem from cars sold by Torgerson but never delivered, as well as cars auctioned by ICA without payment to the sellers. In all, more than 50 buyers and sellers, located as far away as Canada and the United Kingdom, fell victim to Torgerson’s scams, which reportedly netted the car dealer some $700,000. As part of the deal struck with the Maricopa County Attorney, Torgerson ultimately pled guilty to three counts of Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices and a single count of Theft; in exchange, the remaining 97 counts against the defendant were waived. In addition to the prison sentence and probation, Torgerson must pay up to $1.5 million in restitution to his victims, with the final amount determined during a payment hearing scheduled for mid-October.
The fraud reportedly began in 2009, some 20 years after International Classic Auctions was founded, and continued through Torgerson’s arrest in 2011. Initially, Torgerson claimed to be a victim himself, stating that the thefts were related to an embezzlement scheme hatched by ICA and Arizona Connection employees. A subsequent investigation by the prosecutor’s office revealed that the stolen proceeds were actually spent on Torgerson’s family members, personal expenses and other business ventures.
The sentencing and restitution may be of little comfort to those defrauded. Arizona Family quotes an anonymous victim as saying, “There is no amount of money or jail time that can repair the ongoing emotional suffering and depression, nor will it give us back the time and energy spent in the ongoing struggle to recover from the losses that this heartless and greedy man has put us through.”