DMV Reviews Tax Paid by Torrance Police Chief on Car

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is conducting a review of the sales tax paid by Torrance Police Chief Donald E. Nash when he acquired a 1987 Jaguar XJ6, department officials said Thursday.

The department is reviewing reports that Nash understated the value of the car when he bought it after it was seized in a drug raid in 1988, said Janet Orozco, a DMV spokeswoman in Sacramento.

Based on that review, DMV officials will decide whether to open a full-scale investigation, said Jerry Galbreath, Metro area commander for the DMV Bureau of Investigations.

Nash’s purchase of the car has already prompted an investigation by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, which announced Friday that it would not file criminal charges against Nash. The investigation found that Nash had understated the price he paid for the vehicle, and as a result paid too little in sales tax, but district attorney’s spokesmen said it was not clear that he submitted the wrong price intentionally.

Nash said Monday that he paid the back taxes on Dec. 18 to the state Board of Equalization.

“I corrected that as soon as I found out about it,” Nash said. Through a spokesman, he declined further comment Thursday.

The district attorney’s office said Nash paid $748.84 in December, which included back tax of $523.29, a penalty of $52.33 and interest of $173.22.

The teal-blue Jaguar was seized by Torrance police in a 1988 cocaine raid. It was co-owned by convicted drug dealer Jose Luis Bantula and his brother, Anthony.

After police released the car to Anthony Bantula, Nash bought it for $25,500, records show. But he listed the purchase price as $17,449.37 when he registered the car, and so underpaid sales tax. The district attorney’s office said Nash explained that he paid for the car with two separate checks--one for $17,449.37 to cover an outstanding loan and the other for $8,050.63 to the seller--and inadvertently reported only the first check.