Reseda : Jail Sentence Issued in Auto Repair Scam

A Reseda man who pleaded no contest to criminal charges relating to a car-painting scam was sentenced to 60 days in jail and 30 days on a Caltrans work crew, City Atty. James Hahn announced.

Gilmore Adams, 35, who did business as Gilmore’s Auto Paint and Body Shop, pleaded no contest Thursday to three counts of grand theft before Los Angeles Municipal Court Commissioner Kristi Lousteau, who also placed Adams on three years’ probation for acting as an automotive repair dealer without a valid registration.

Adams was further ordered to pay $4,535 in restitution to the four victims of his auto-painting swindle, according to Deputy City Atty. Mark Lambert.

Lambert said the scheme was uncovered after consumers complained in 1992 that they were victimized after responding to advertisements Adams placed in the Recycler Classifieds.

An investigation determined that Adams accepted money in advance for auto repairs and paint jobs and then took customers’ cars to legitimate shops such as Earl Scheib and In-and-Out Paint Center outlets for repair.

Adams left the cars at the legitimate shops without payment. The victims later found out that they owed bills to the above-board shops for the work done to their vehicles.

A warrant was issued for Adams’ arrest in 1993, but he remained a fugitive until Aug. 1, 1995, when state Bureau of Automotive Repair officials found him.

Adams is subject to an additional one-year jail term starting Jan. 30 if he does not make the restitution payments.