Vehicle fraud ring discovered by Roseville PD; 2 arrested

A vehicle fraud ring was uncovered after a multi-agency investigation, resulting in the arrest of two people who are accused of scamming numerous people by tampering with the odometer of cars they were selling. Roseville Police say about one year ago, a victim unknowingly bought a car with a fraudulently rolled-back odometer from a private party in the city. What initially appeared to be an isolated incident quickly developed into a large-scale fraud investigation led by Roseville PD. During the investigation, detectives uncovered a vehicle fraud ring operating throughout the Sacramento area that targeted unsuspecting buyers by selling vehicles with illegally altered odometers. Investigators determined numerous victims across the region unknowingly bought vehicles believing they had significantly lower mileage than they actually did. On May 1, Roseville PD led a coordinated multi-agency search and arrest warrant operation in Sacramento County related to the fraudulent vehicle sales. Investigators arrested Rustam Mirzoev, 28, and Dmitril Grunin, 29, for violations of felony identity theft, felony conspiracy and felony theft by false pretenses, and tampering with the odometer. Both suspects were booked into the South Placer County Jail. Investigators also also found and seized eight vehicles with fraudulently rolled-back odometers connected to the investigation. Police said the investigation highlights the importance of strong partnerships and coordinated law enforcement efforts to protect consumers from organized fraud schemes. Roseville PD worked alongside the Placer Regional Auto Theft Task Force, the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office Bureau of Investigation, the Diplomatic Security Service and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration throughout the investigation. Police offer this advice: When buying a car from a private seller or online marketplace, always verify the VIN, review vehicle history reports, compare mileage records, and have the vehicle inspected before buying it. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.