OXNARD : 2 Plead Not Guilty in Loan Shark Case
Two workers at an Oxnard car dealership who were accused of loan sharking and perjury for allegedly charging up to 500% interest on loans pleaded not guilty in Superior Court, prosecutors said.
Shahin Pak Azarmehr, 29, and Andrew Harris Weber, 25, were indicted by the Ventura County grand jury for allegedly operating a loan-sharking business out of the Autopawn car dealership in Oxnard.
The two men were accused of charging illegally high interest on automobiles pawned at the dealership, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Michael Schwartz. Only financial institutions and licensed pawnshops can charge more than 10%, he said.
The men contend that the charges were storage fees and not interest, Schwartz said. Their trial was set for May 30, and a pretrial hearing for May 18.
Two other defendants in the case, John Edward Line and Orlando Daniel Baldizon, also pleaded not guilty Friday. The mechanics are accused of falsifying smog-inspection documents for Autopawn while working for George’s Auto Center in Rosemead.
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