Page 23 - IAR Recyclers News Press March / April 2013
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Page 23
Recyclers News Press
Good New Bad News
Man Pleads Guilty To Violation of Recycler Law
AMES, Iowa – Nov. 29, 2012 – Roger Aaron Brandenburg,
46, of Farley, entered a plea of guilty Oct. 18, 2012, in Du-
buque County court to one count of operating as a motor
vehicle recycler without obtaining a license from the Iowa
Department of Transportation and one count of fraudulent
practice in the fifth degree for underreporting the purchase
price of a motor vehicle at the time of titling. The charges
were a result of an investigation conducted by the Iowa
DOT’s Motor Vehicle Enforcement – Investigative Unit.
This case serves as reminder to all Iowans about the im-
portance of properly reporting the purchase price of used
vehicles. Any purchase price that is considerably lower
than fair market value raises a red flag in the Iowa DOT’s
vehicle registration and titling system, and may result in an
investigation.
Iowa takes violations of the vehicle registration laws very
seriously. The “fee for registration” (formerly the use tax)
collected on vehicle purchases is an important revenue
source for building and maintaining Iowa’s highway sys-
tem; violations of the law mean all highway users are
shortchanged.
Illegal recycling and salvaging is another serious concern
for Iowa. Not only does it negatively affect state revenue, it
adversely impacts legitimate recycling businesses and is
often associated with environmental problems due to im-
proper disposal of toxic waste.
In this particular case, investigators found that Branden-
burg sold 179 motor vehicles for scrap to a recycling facil-
ity in 2011. Iowa law states that a person shall not engage
in the business of dismantling, scrapping, recycling or sal-
vaging more than six vehicles subject to registration in a
12-month period without obtaining a recycler’s license. For
his guilty plea, Brandenburg received two years’ probation,
a suspended 180-day jail sentence and fine of $2,800
(including the surcharge and court costs).
The investigation also uncovered that Brandenburg under-
reported the purchase price on the application for title to a
2003 Chevy Silverado. Brandenburg stated a purchase
price of $2,000, when he actually paid $4,800. By underre-
porting the purchase price, Brandenburg evaded $140 in
fees for registration. Iowa law states that a person who
willfully makes a false statement in regards to a purchase
price is guilty of a fraudulent practice. By entering a guilty
plea to this charge, Brandenburg was ordered to pay $140
in restitution, as well as pay an additional fine, surcharge
and court costs totaling $455.
Media contact:
Mike Athey,
515-237-3217
or
