East Valley : Auto Shop Operators Fined for Swindling

The operators of two East Valley auto repair shops were fined this week in Los Angeles Municipal Court for swindling customers, Los Angeles City Atty. Jim Hahn announced Thursday.

Menashe Nachshon, 42, of Palms, former owner of Automotive 2000 on Oxnard Street in Van Nuys, was fined $2,800 and ordered to serve 15 days in jail or on a California Department of Transportation crew. He pleaded no contest to a charge of theft.

Boyd Jamieson Young, 25, of Winnetka, operator of Young’s Automotive on Van Nuys Boulevard in Panorama City, was fined $8,100 after he pleaded no contest to two counts of making false and misleading statements and one count of charging for unauthorized repairs.

Both arrests were made after a series of undercover stings by the California Bureau of Automotive Repair. Investigators were attracted to the separate mechanic shops by newspaper ads promising extremely low prices for clutch repairs.

During the sting, agents took in a vehicle for a transmission clutch diagnosis. Although the vehicle had a new clutch in need of a simple adjustment, mechanics at the shops recommended installation of a new one, according to Deputy City Atty. Mark Lambert.

Carlos Enrique Cuellar, a mechanic at Automotive 2000, was also sentenced to 15 days in jail or on a Caltrans work crew by Los Angeles Municipal Court Commissioner Kristi Lousteau. Cuellar, 39, of Van Nuys was not fined.

Michael Roy Drummond Jr., an employee of Young’s Automotive, was sentenced on Sept. 14 after pleading no contest to two counts of making false and misleading statements.

All four men were placed on three years’ probation.