Police busted a chop shop in January and found over $3.3 million worth of allegedly stolen exotic cars, but that wasn't all. During the investigation, authorities found that a tag agency clerk had enabled the thefts. She's now facing 36 felony counts of fraud and misconduct as a result. Automobile theft can be a complex business and title fraud can sometimes plays a large role. In the case of one criminal organization in Florida, title fraud was the linchpin of the entire operation.
Katherine Vera Moran, the clerk in question, would allegedly accept $800-$1,000 per vehicle to forge titles and tax documents on stolen cars. According to state attorney Katherine Rundle, Vera Moran would manipulate VINs associated with total loss vehicles, too. In one example, she created a salvage rebuilt title for a Jeep Gladiator that had initially been a total loss due to fire damage.