A local used car dealer admitted that he defrauded a number of customers.

In Orange County Court, 37-year-old Ameen Hawkins of Middletown pleaded guilty to felony charges of scheming to defraud and criminal tax fraud.

Hawkins admitted that between October 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015 he defrauded customers while owning Hawk’s Community Auto Sales, a used car lot in Middletown.

According to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Hawkins' scheme resulted in his customers purchasing cars for which they could not obtain titles. An investigation revealed that Hawkins didn’t tell his customers that he never paid for the prior liens on the vehicles.

“Automobile purchases are among the most significant expenditures most people will ever make,” District Attorney David M Hoovler said in a press release. “Customers making those purchases have a right not to be cheated, and to receive proper legal tittle to what they purchased.

Hawkins also admitted that he evaded taxes.

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