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Vincent LoCastro's Past Questioned by Readers; Patch Responds
LoCastro is a site developer for EZ Auto Sales, which hopes to open in Baldwin Township.
By Robert Edward Healy, III (Patch Staff)
Updated January 6, 2012 at 1:53 pm 4
Vincent LoCastro's Past Questioned by Readers; Patch Responds
The Baldwin Township Board of Commissioners held pertaining to conditional use and land use applications filed on behalf of EZ Auto Sales to run a motor vehicle sales agency at 514 McNeilly Road.
No decision was reached on the matter that night. The board closed the hearing and reserved the right to review the exhibits and render a decision at its regular meetings on Dec. 19 and/or Jan. 3 or 30.
solicitor Tom McDermott explained that the applications were filed by Vincent LoCastro as agent and site developer for EZ Auto Sales. EZ Auto Sales is a used motor vehicle business selling cars and small trucks. It is the sublessee of 514 McNeilly, a property held in a lease between the property owner and a revocable trust.
LoCastro's involvement with EZ Auto Sales sparked a number of comments on this website related to his history in the courts system.
In the interest of establishing an accurate record, the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch utilized the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System's Web Portal to find the following information:
In 2002, LoCastro was charged with two counts of tampering with public records or information, two counts of making a false application for a title registration, 60 counts of engaging in unprofessional or incompetent conduct and one count of willful use of a dealer identification number. He pled guilty to nine of those counts of engaging in unprofessional or incompetent conduct and was fined approximately $1,000 for each of them. The other charges were dismissed.
In 2007, he was charged with 10 counts of theft by failure to make a required disposition of funds received, two counts of failure to make an accurate odometer mileage statement, two counts of failure to retain an accurate odometer mileage statement, 144 counts of failure to deliver the application for a certificate of a vehicle title within 20 days of the date of purchase, 153 counts of miscellaneous violations of the rules and regulations of motor vehicle code, 144 counts of engaging in unprofessional or incompetent conduct and 144 counts of failure to pay taxes. LoCastro pled guilty to 25 of those counts of engaging in unprofessional or incompetent conduct and both of those counts of failure to make an accurate odometer mileage statement. For those, he was sentenced to 12 months of probation. The other charges were dismissed.
In 2008, he was charged with one count of making a false, fraudulent or incomplete insurance claim, one count of criminal attempt to make a theft by deception-false impression and one count of forgery. LoCastro pled guilty to the making a false, fraudulent or incomplete insurance claim charge, and was sentenced to community service and 18 months of probation. The other charges were dismissed.
In 2009, he was charged with one count of making a false or misleading statement for the purpose of obtaining credit, one count of theft by unlawful taking-moveable property, one count of theft by deception-false impression and one count of issuing bad checks. All of those charges were dismissed.
Also in 2009, he was charged with one count of theft by unlawful taking-moveable property and one count of criminal mischief-damage of property. Both of those charges were dismissed.
Also in 2009, he was charged with one count of theft by failure to make a required disposition of funds received, one count of tampering with public records or information, one count of making a false application for a title registration, 54 counts of failure to pay taxes, 54 counts of engaging in unprofessional or incompetent conduct and 393 counts of miscellaneous violations of the rules and regulations of motor vehicle code. LoCastro pled guilty to the tampering with public records or information and making a false application for a title registration charges and was sentenced to 23 months of probation. The other charges were dismissed.
Also in 2009, he was charged with 338 counts of failure to deliver the application for a certificate of a vehicle title within 20 days of the date of purchase, seven counts of assigning a blank certificate of a vehicle title and one count of failing to deliver a vehicle title. All of those charges were dismissed.
On a more major level, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that LoCastro was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2009 and charged with nine counts of identity theft. The Post-Gazette then reported, in May 2011, that LoCastro would have to pay back nearly $550,000 taken through check kiting and identity theft and serve three years of probation, including half of that on house arrest.
Just my opinion, of course.
