UPDATE (Feb. 1, 2023) — After a five-day trial, Brian Fenner and codefendant Dennis Birkley were found guilty on all 15 counts, including fraud and money laundering. Sentencing is scheduled for May.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (March 1, 2016) – State, county and local police conducted a series of raids at several car lots around Indianapolis.
Court documents reveal the owner of a south side auto business, Sperro LLC, is allegedly behind a questionable bankruptcy operation.
Indiana State Police and the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office were among the agencies involved in the raids, which began Tuesday morning as investigators served a series of search warrants. FOX59 crews know of at least two locations that were targeted: Bluff Road and West Street; 11th and Hanna Avenue. At the Bluff Road location, officers were seen carrying boxes out of a business and towing vehicles.
Jeremy Giddens, a former mechanic for the company told FOX59 he quit, because he was suspicious of the business’ owner, Brian Fenner.
“He didn’t exactly go into detail into how the business operated until about a month of me being there,” said Giddens.
Fenner is currently facing over a dozen lawsuits from major banks and auto companies like Ford and Nissan.
“Something just was not right and then I started catching him in a few lies,” said Giddens.
The former employee alleged Fenner would hire a network of bankruptcy attorneys who would tip him off when a client had a car they couldn’t afford to keep.
“You see a 2013 car come in there and Fenner would be bragging that he only paid $1,200 for it. I mean something isn’t right with that picture,” said Giddens.
The ex-employee stated Fenner would allegedly pay the bankruptcy fees in exchange for the vehicle and then sell the cars.
However, according to court records, many of the cars still had loans and the lenders have since sued.
“After a few shady events I knew I had to get out of there,” said Giddens.
Fenner’s attorney was present at the scene and told FOX59 he had spoken to authorities, but would not comment further on the investigation.
