RIDGEFIELD — The sales manager of a used-car dealership is charged with trying to conceal more than $1 million in sales from lenders through various means, which all came to light after he reportedly did not pay motor vehicle liens of around $5 million.

The investigation began in October 2016 with a complaint from a lender about the proceeds of the sale of automobiles at Gutierrez's dealership, The Luxury Haus. According to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, the complaint was filed by a motor vehicle dealer floor-plan lender who said Gutierrez had defaulted on the liens. The lender had reportedly told authorities of their belief that much greater amounts of money "were missing and/or had been stolen."

As a result, an action of foreclosure was started. Further investigation by the prosecutor's office and the Leonia Police Department showed that Gutierrez had failed to report the sales or taken money from numerous sales without sending the money to the lender. Gutierrez had then reportedly moved the money to other accounts.

Gutierrez was charged with second-degree theft by failure to make a required disposition, first-degree financial facilitation of criminal activity, and fourth-degree defrauding secured creditors.

The charges come after an investigation  by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Financial Crimes Unit and the Leonia Police Department.

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