Detectives with the Fresno "Help Eliminate Auto Theft," or HEAT team first began investigating 56-year-old Christopher Asher in August of 2022 after learning a Huntington Beach car dealer was searching for a stolen vehicle in the Fresno area.
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Investigators learned the dealer sold the car to Asher after he presented himself as the general manager of Artanis Automotive in east central Fresno.
Since he had a valid licensed dealer number, the business sent the car to Fresno.
But detectives say the check Asher wrote to pay for it -- bounced.
HEAT officers say Asher then sold the stolen vehicle to someone else after receiving a down payment of $12,000.
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Authorities say since Asher is a previously convicted felon, he was not eligible to have a car dealer-broker license.
He has since posted bond and is due in court in May.
If you purchased a car from Asher, you are asked to call Fresno police.