Car Dealer Sentenced in Honda Kickback Case

A federal judge sentenced auto dealer and NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick to three years’ probation for his part in the American Honda Motor Co. bribery and kickback scandal. Under terms of his sentence, Hendrick, who has a life-threatening form of leukemia, will be confined to his Charlotte, N.C., home for 12 months. He was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine. Hendrick is among 23 defendants who have either pleaded guilty or been convicted in federal court in connection with the government’s ongoing investigation into corruption at American Honda. Honda executives, taking advantage of demand for the auto maker’s cars, solicited bribes from dealerships in exchange for new dealerships and extra shipments of cars.