Metairie used car dealer arrested for tax fraud
BATON ROUGE - A Metairie used car dealer faces felony charges for evading sales taxes on the purchases of a Ferrari and a classic Lincoln Continental.
Investigators with the Louisiana Department of Revenue said Wednesday that 60-year-old Joseph Wayne Leone bought the cars using his LDR Resale Certificate, which allows sales-tax exempt purchases that are intended for resale to customers. But he failed to pay sales taxes on the vehicles after registering them for his personal use.
Derek Parnell, executive director of the Louisiana Used Motor Vehicle Commission, said Leone's dealer's license has been revoked and they're further investigating his activities. More violations are pending, he said.
Leone was booked Tuesday into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on charges of theft, injuring public records and failing to account for state tax monies.