Fort Dodge Defendants Face Charges of Conspiracy and Soliciting a False Auto Damage Disclosure Statement

Zuspann and Russell were named in separate complaints each alleging commission of two Class D felonies -- soliciting a false damage disclosure statement and conspiracy to obtain a false damage disclosure statement.

The complaints state that the charges arose in connection with the alleged attempt by Zuspann and Russell to obtain a false damage disclosure statement from another individual for the purposes of artificially inflating the resale value of a 1995 Ford Probe that had sustained more than $8,000 worth of collision damage.

The matter was investigated by the Attorney General's Office with the assistance of the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Class D felonies are punishable by up to five years in prison and a $7,500 fine.

Iowa's auto damage disclosure law has been in effect since 1993. It requires car sellers to give buyers written disclosures indicating whether the car incurred damage of $3,000 or more from individual incidents while the seller owned it, and whether the car was ever on a salvage title, flood title, or rebuilt title.