Men indicted for phony Uber leasing company scam
Two men accused of running a phony Uber leasing company have been indicted on theft and securities fraud charges, the Nevada attorney general’s office said Wednesday.
Shane Allan Unruh, 43, and Brian James Oney, 46, each face six felony counts of securities fraud, four felony counts of theft of $3,500 or more and two felony counts of theft of between $650 and $3,500.
District Judge Jennifer Togliatti issued a $120,000 warrant for Unruh and a $60,000 warrant for Oney. Both remained at large.
The men are accused of persuading seven people to buy 25 cars on personal credit under the guise that their company, U.B.R. Leasing was affiliated with the ride-sharing company Uber Technologies, Attorney General Adam Laxalt said in a news release.
The vehicles’ purchase prices averaged about $30,000, officials said.
The men “falsely represented that U.B.R. would make all monthly loan payments on the vehicles as well as pay for insurance and registration of the vehicles,” and they promised the victims 30 percent profit from each vehicle, the release stated.
But the victims were never told that they would be personally liable for the vehicles if U.B.R. failed to make payments on the loans, according to the release.
The money in the company’s bank account was used for personal expenses instead of loan payments, the release said.
“Crimes such as this one can cost unsuspecting victims thousands of dollars,” Laxalt said. “This office is committed to dismantling elaborate financial schemes that fleece Nevadans out of their hard-earned money, and will continue to do so at every opportunity.”
Unruh was the president, secretary, treasurer and director of U.B.R. Leasing Company Inc., a company in default since May, according to the Nevada secretary of state’s business entity website.
UBR Leasing Company Inc. was listed on Facebook as a “transportation service” based in the northwest valley.
Calls to phone numbers connected to the company, as well as Oney and Unruh, went unanswered Wednesday.
On Facebook, Unruh listed himself as the CEO at driveubr.com, living in Santa Ana, California.
An Uber spokeswoman declined to comment on the indictment.
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.
