ROCHESTER — Felony charges were dropped against the owner of The Rochester Auto Mall in a plea deal.
Safaa Fadhil Zamil Al Janabi, 42, of Rochester, admitted to improperly tracking and reporting automobiles and title transfers.
The Minnesota State Patrol began investigating Al Janabi after an officer investigating a crash that occurred in February 2021 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. One of the owners of an involved vehicle told law enforcement that she purchased the car from Rochester Auto Mall but never received a title.
An investigator made multiple attempts to contact the dealership but was unable to contact anyone at the business.
In Olmsted County District Court on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, Al Janabi admitted he didn’t transfer the title in the time required and that he improperly listed his hours of operation in paperwork filed with the Minnesota Department of Motor Vehicles.
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Initially, the criminal complaints alleged the practices were a way to dodge paying taxes on sales, but Al Janabi’s attorney Richmond McCluer noted the way Al Janabi was conducting business was actually costing him money. He said Al Janabi had little guidance on paperwork and filing requirement regulations when he opened the business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Al Janabi appeared in person and spoke through a remote interpreter. He pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of failure to notify title transfer. Prosecutors dismissed 10 felony counts of failing to collect and pay vehicle taxes as part of the plea.
He was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine in the plea.
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