Richmond judge hands down jailtime, $357K restitution order in high-end car scam

Jailtime for luxury car scam

Photo: File photo.

A man was given 26 more months in jail for his part in a high-end car scam.

A man will spend 26 more months in jail and have to pay about $357,000 in restitution to victims after he pleaded guilty to several counts related to a fraudulent high-end car scheme.

Ka Tin Hong is the second person to be sentenced to jail in a case where fraudsters were using fake bank drafts and identification to buy, register and resell or dispose of high-end vehicles.

Justice Glenn Lee handed down the sentence on Thursday, Feb. 12, saying Hong’s motive in committing the crimes was “greed only.”

Lee recounted how Hong was responsible for “instructing his accomplices,” namely, his two co-accused, who, as a group, committed identity theft and participated in the production of forged government documents and counterfeit monetary instruments.

The crimes took place in Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver and Burnaby between January and March 2024, targeting victims who were selling their cars online.

The group members posed as buyers and used counterfeit bank drafts and forged identification documents to complete the transactions.

Lee said they went with the victims to the bank where the bank draft was deposited.

(The bank drafts were reversed a few days later.)

Then they went to an insurance broker to register the car, but the transfer documents would be signed in the name of “impersonated identity theft victim.”

The vehicles were then sold to third parties, such as dealerships, or otherwise “disposed of.”

The vehicles included two Lexuses, a Toyota Sienna, two BMWs, three Mercedes, an Audi A6, a Land Rover, a Range Rover and several others. Furthermore, the scheme was used to fraudulently buy a $20,000 Hermes bag.

Some of the vehicles were eventually recovered.

In his sentencing decision for Hong, Lee listed several aggravating factors. This included that the fraud involved about $850,000, the scheme preyed on 20 victims, there was an emotional and financial impact on the victims, the crime was complex and sophisticated and the fact Hong was a “key player” in the scheme.

Hong’s defence lawyer had argued Hong had a problem with crystal meth, but Lee disagreed, saying his crime was motivated by greed.

Furthermore, while Hong pleaded guilty to the criminal organization offence, his defence argued it was “barely a criminal organization,” the judge explained in court.

Lee, however, agreed with the Crown’s argument that the scheme was “sophisticated,” although Hong made “bewildering” decisions and was caught fairly easily by police.

“It could be said he was reckless and careless, but still participated in a sophisticated criminal organization,” he added.

Lee did agree with the defence that Hong wasn’t the mastermind of the operation and there was a “big boss” involved.

Lee said he gave credit to Hong for his guilty plea and his “expression of remorse,” but, nevertheless, the crimes were “serious” and called for incarceration.

Hong was given a sentence of four years and three months in jail, but, taking into account time served while awaiting sentencing, he will spend another 801 days, or about 26 months, in jail.

The longest sentences were for the two counts: 18 months for the criminal organization offence, and 33 months for the fraudulent identification offence.

Hong was given one day to pay the $357,679 restitution, which will be given to the victims of the crimes.

Hong’s co-accused, 21-year-old Shing Wai Wong, received a two-and-a-half-year jail sentence in November.