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For everyone's reference:
Metro car dealers charged with bad imports
By Craig Boerner, cboerner@nashvillecitypaper.com
July 11, 2003
A father and son who own and operate a local car dealership were arrested Thursday by agents from the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on federal charges of illegally importing Italian-made Alfa Romeo sports cars.
The cars, which did not meet federal safety and air quality standards, have not been built for the United States market since 1995.
Carlo Giordano, 66, and his son, Alessandro Giordano, 25, own and operate Autodelta USA, Inc., based in Nashville but would travel to Europe to purchase the cars and then make false statements that the vehicles were legal in the United States, according to the indictment.
Autodelta illegally imported over 20 Alfa Romeo automobiles into the United States, according to the ICE.
The Giordanos were indicted July 2 in Santa Ana, Cal., accused of seven counts of wire fraud and three counts of making false statements in documents required by the Clean Air Act.
It is the first time in California that federal charges have been brought against defendants accused of illegally importing foreign cars.
The Giordanos allegedly covered or replaced Alfa Romeo vehicle identification numbers, insignias and other markings with Autodelta versions.
The Giordanos made their initial court appearance Thursday in Nashville and the Justice Department is seeking their removal to California to face charges in the indictment.