Friday, May 9th, 2008
Former St. Marys car dealer accused of illegal business practices
By Shelley Grieshop
A former St. Marys auto dealer faces more than 30 years in prison for allegedly scamming area residents out of more than $200,000 and cheating the government.
Brian K. Selby, 41, 234 Southway Drive, St. Marys, who previously operated Affordable Motor Sales downtown, pleaded not guilty last week in Auglaize County Common Pleas Court to 16 charges including theft by deception, collecting, failing to remit and withholding sales tax, failure to file employee withholding returns and worker's compensation fraud.
The crimes all are felonies that allegedly took place between January 2003 and September 2007.
Selby, who recently served time in federal prison for loan fraud, faces a maximum 31 years in prison and a $75,000 fine. He also could be ordered to pay "well over" $200,000 in restitution if convicted, according to Auglaize County Prosecutor Ed Pierce. One of the theft by deception charges is a more serious first-degree felony, which alone could net Selby a maximum 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
A pretrial hearing is set for May 20. Selby, who remains in jail on a $500,000 bond, has claimed indigency and is represented by court-appointed attorney Mark Weller.
The investigation into the case was conducted by the St. Marys Police Department after receiving complaints from area residents who had business dealings with Selby.
Pierce would not confirm whether the charges all stem from business transactions at the former car dealership at 305 W. Spring St. The alleged crimes involve approximately eight victims. Two of those victims each were cheated out of more than $100,000, Pierce added.
Selby was convicted of loan fraud in August in U.S. District Court in Toledo and served 30 days in a federal prison in Kentucky. Federal court Judge James G. Carr also ordered Selby to pay restitution of more than $150,000 after dismissing a second charge of loan fraud. The federal charges allegedly involved at least one bank in the Grand Lake area, although details of the case were not available.
