'Lemon Van Driver' Gets Suspended Sentence

A Salisbury, Mass., man who smashed his mini-van into several vehicles at a Portsmouth Used Car Superstore dealership in July 2011 received a suspended 1 1/2- to 3-year sentence in Rockingham County Superior Court.

The Union Leader reported that David Cross, 43, pleaded guilty to a felony count of criminal mischief as part of a negotiated plea bargain with the Rockingham County Attorney's office. The newspaper reported he will avoid doing any jail time as long as he maintains good behavior.

Cross became known as the "Lemon Van Driver" after he purchased a van from the Portsmouth Used Car Superstore that he said turned out to be a "lemon." According to Portsmouth Police, Cross brought the mini-van back to the dealership on July 19 and smashed into six other cars on the sales lot on July 19. He then flagged down a Portsmouth Police officer to tell him what he did. Officials at the Portsmouth Ford Used Car Superstore told police that Cross caused $20,000 worth of damage to the other vehicles.