2 Charged In Maryland Car Rental Scheme
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Federal authorities in Maryland have charged a man and woman with participating in a car rental scheme that duped more than 1,500 people.
Lamondes Williams, of Baltimore, and Erica Brown, of Laurel, have been indicted on federal wire fraud charges. Williams has been detained, and Brown has been released pending trial.
Officials say the alleged scheme targeted people with bad or no credit with promises of low daily rent rates.
Officials say organizers lured people into signing what they thought were long-term leases with options to buy. The contracts were actually good for just a few days, and the rental agencies then tried to get the cars back and collect late fees once the agreements were up. Police say the organizers stopped returning phone calls, leaving renters on the hook.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
