A Jonesboro man posing as an automobile broker has been charged with seven counts of theft by deception for “selling” vehicles for which payments were made but no vehicle was received, according to Fayetteville Police Department Detective Mike Whitlow.
Lovell J. Brown, 44, is accused of receiving payments in part or in full for the vehicles but failed to deliver them during a period from May through October, Whitlow said. Lovell was out on bond for three previous cases of a similar nature from 2013, Whitlow added.
Whitlow said there are a number of similarities in the way that Lovell would obtain money from people interested in purchasing a vehicle. Lovell billed himself as a broker but has no license, Whitlow said, adding that he did business as Bels Auto though that company does not currently exist.
Whitlow said Lovell obtained clients through Craigslist and through word-of-mouth contacts.
Whitlow said Lovell would take orders for the vehicle being sought and provide a photo. Lovell would often ask for part or all of the money needed to purchase the vehicle up front. When the vehicle did not arrive as promised, he would make excuses why the vehicle was not delivered, Whitlow said.
A sampling of those excuses included his claim that he had been in the hospital for cancer treatment, that he had been out of town or that his mother had died, Whitlow said, adding that he used the supposed death of his mother on three occasions.
On one occasion Lovell was said to have taken a photo of a customer’s vehicle on a car rental lot and later portrayed it as one available for purchase, said Whitlow.
Whitlow said there were other cases where a vehicle was delivered. In one of those cases the man who purchased a truck had to file bankruptcy after he learned there was a lien on the vehicle.
Whitlow said Lovell also made purchases from local merchants using checks for which the accounts had been closed.
Though only a small number of the charges relate to Fayette County residents, Whitlow said Lovell met all the buyers, took orders and exchanged money at his place of work in Fayetteville.
Lovell’s deception did not begin in 2014, Whitlow said. Lovell was arrested in 2013 on three warrants for similar activities and was released on bond, said Whitlow.
Whitlow stressed that those wanting to purchase a vehicle never do so until the vehicle is physically present with a clear title before any money changes hands. He suggested that potential buyers pay the Carfax fee to determine if a lien exists on a vehicle.
