Providence Used Car Salesman Gets 15 Months For Odometer Scam: AG

PROVIDENCE, RI — A Providence used car salesman was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $150,000 restitution for rolling back odometers on his inventory, according to the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office.

Pablo Beato, 53, had pleaded nolo contendere last week to conspiracy to tamper with odometers, conspiracy to obtain money under false pretenses and conspiracy to commit forgery.

Between 2018 and 2021, Beato tampered with and rolled back the odometers of 42 vehicles, which he eventually sold to consumers, the attorney general's office said in a media release.

"Fortunately, this defendant’s scheme ran out of gas,” Attorney General Peter F. Neronha said in the release.

“We see no shortage of deceptive trade practices in Rhode Island, and we prosecute offenders both civilly and criminally to protect consumers from bad actors who wish to take advantage of them," Neronha said. "I’m grateful to the investigators in my Office for their excellent work in bringing this defendant to justice and returning $150,000 in restitution to the victims."

Beato was also sentenced to 15 years probation and has 15 years to pay the $150,000 in restitution.