Two accused in tax cheat scheme

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - U.S. Attorney Joseph Hogsett said his investigators broke a sophisticated scheme designed to cheat Hoosier kids and others out of money owed to them.

Hogsett said business owners Joseph and Nisha Woodruff worked with BMV employee Lee Ann Rinehart to scam creditors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The trio would find people who had tax liens for child support, bank loans, or unpaid tax bills attached to their vehicles, then help them avoid paying what they owed, Hogsett said.

Under the business name Mechanic’s Liens Plus, Hogsett said, the suspects would pretend to work on the vehicles, place a lien on the truck or car, then sell it back to owner at a cheaper price with a clean title, clear of the the original tax liens that were never paid.

Hogsett stressed the importance of putting an end to this elaborate scheme.

“Our office believes these individuals were responsible for operating their own personal BMV on the streets of Indianapolis,” Hogsett said. “The allegations involve hundreds of vehicles, hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and the victimization of Hoosier children, Hoosier taxpayers and financial institutions across the state.”

The suspects in this case have not been arrested but have been issued a summons.