Providence car dealer sentenced for rolling back odometers on 42 vehicles sold to consumers

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A Providence auto dealer has been sentenced in an odometer rollback scheme during which he tampered with 42 vehicles that were later sold to consumers.

Pablo Beato, 53, will serve 15 months at the ACI and is ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution.

This came after he pleaded nolo contendere to one count of conspiracy to tamper with odometers, one count of conspiracy to obtain money under false pretenses and one count of conspiracy to commit forgery.

He will also serve 15 month probation upon release.

According to the office of Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, Beato sold the 42 vehicles between 2018 and 2021.

The investigation into this scheme began in 2020 when Rhode Island State Police (RISP) investigators received multiple reports of forged title certificates from the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles.

Further review revealed damage to the security features of the documents consistent with writing over the odometer mileage disclosures.

These forgeries were done to reflect false, lower mileage readings on the respective vehicles.

The owners of these vehicles purchased them from P.B. Auto Repair & Import, LLC on Cranston Street in Providence.

On February 17, 2020, RISP traveled to and inspected the dealership and informed Beato that he did not have the proper licensing to sell cars in the state.

The following day, RISP went by the dealership again to find the business seemingly closed and devoid of all vehicles on hand the previous day.

RISP learned in April that Beato had moved the sales operation to his residence on Kenwood Street in Providence.

Search warrants were obtained for several residences and social media accounts associated with Beato.

Surveillance showed that Beato used Facebook and Craigslist to list vehicles for sale.

He was then found to have sold 42 such cars with odometers manipulated to show lower mileage than the vehicle actually had.