National City
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A National City man was charged Wednesday by a federal grand jury in San Diego with four counts of odometer tampering, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
Ernesto Guzman operated the now-defunct Golden Auto Brokers in National City for two years. He was indicted for allegedly tampering with four automobile odometers from Nov. 4, 1987, to Aug. 23, 1988. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison, a $50,000 fine or both.
Investigators from the state Department of Motor Vehicles seized several vehicles, a large amount of cash, and cocaine and marijuana during a search last year of Guzman’s home and dealership. Guzman was convicted in San Diego Superior Court for possession of cocaine with intent to sell, and is awaiting sentencing.
In 1972, Congress passed a law forbidding alteration of an odometer’s reading.
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