Car salesman convicted of fraud

A luxury-car salesman was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison for defrauding several people, including former NBA player Julius “Dr. J” Erving, according to U.S. Attorney Ed Stanton’s office.

According to the indictment, from October 2010 to September 2013, Michael Gerard Brown offered upscale vehicles for sale through his business, Valkry Corporation and Exotic Cars South with offices in Collierville and the Atlanta area. The indictment stated that once Brown received payments from customers, he would partially satisfy purchase orders for the vehicles or fail to deliver the vehicles.

As a result, Brown, 57, fraudulently obtained more than $2 million that he used for his personal benefit, as well as travel and business expenses, according to the indictment. Brown also used the funds to purchase more vehicles.

Brown’s victims included Erving, according to the indictment. In February, Erving wired Brown $251,934 to purchase a 2015 Rolls-Royce Wraith. Brown never delivered the car nor provided Erving a refund. There were three other victims, including two luxury-car dealerships in England and Macau, China.