PHOENIX, ARIZONA — A 37-year-old Arizona man, Andres “Manny” Lopez, has been sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud tied to a long-running auto scam that defrauded victims of over $1.37 million.
Lopez operated a fraudulent business under the name All Performance Tuning and Diesel Repair LLC, through which he posed as a legitimate auto mechanic. Prosecutors say that in November 2019, he convinced a Missouri customer to wire $45,000 for a Toyota RAV4 he falsely claimed to own.
Lopez maintained the deception by impersonating a general manager of a Florida Toyota dealership via text messages and continued giving false updates. The car was never delivered.
Authorities also uncovered a pattern of Lopez taking money for repairs and auto parts that he never provided. In some instances, he damaged customer vehicles, loaned them out without permission, and left many customers without recourse.
Even after his indictment in October 2023, Lopez continued his fraudulent behavior—scamming yet another victim out of $568,000 while out on bond.
In addition to the prison sentence, Lopez was ordered to repay $1.37 million to his victims.
“For years, Andres Lopez lied to customers to line his own pockets,” said Chris Crocker, Special Agent in Charge. “His lies and manipulation continued even after charges were filed. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his deceit.”
