Valentino Colic, 34, of St. Louis, has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for his role in a large-scale vehicle fraud conspiracy that defrauded sellers across multiple states, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois announced today.
Colic pleaded guilty in September to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, two counts of interstate transportation of property taken by fraud, and six counts of aggravated identity theft. He was part of a scheme that operated from 2018 to August 2023, targeting private vehicle sellers on platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.
The conspirators used counterfeit cashier’s checks printed on security paper that resembled those from legitimate banks but included fake routing numbers. Once they obtained the vehicles, they resold them for cash, leaving victims unaware that the checks were fraudulent until it was too late.
The fraud scheme, which involved at least $1.7 million in fake checks, relied on using stolen identities to falsify documents such as vehicle titles and bills of sale. The group repeatedly revictimized individuals by reusing their identities and forged checks.
Colic’s co-conspirators, including Alen Saric, 36; Almir Palic, 25; and Emad Hasanbegovic, 34, all of St. Louis, were also involved in the scheme. Saric pleaded guilty in January and is scheduled for sentencing on May 7. In February, Palic was sentenced to over four years in federal prison, while Hasanbegovic is awaiting a court hearing in May.
The fraud ring targeted more than 100 victims in five states, and Colic, along with Saric, admitted to transporting the stolen vehicles across state lines to further the scheme.
