Attorney Generals News Release

September 7, 1995

St. Louis liquidator sentenced for fraud involving sale of boat motors to Springfield-area businesses

Jefferson City, Mo. — A St. Louis man accused of fraudulently selling boat motors to two Springfield-area marine dealers was sentenced Wednesday in Greene County Circuit Court to four concurrent five-year prison terms.

Paul Clifford Carter, 49, who claimed to liquidate boat motors, pleaded guilty last month to charges brought in May 1994 by a Greene County grand jury at the request of Attorney General Jay Nixon. Carter was accused of using deceptive practices and misrepresentations to sell the boat motors. Nixon said these practices included:

• Collecting shipping expenses up front, but using the money for unrelated purposes.
• Misrepresenting he could deliver the boat motors ordered when he could not.
• Promising full refunds for undelivered merchandise, when no refunds were issued.
• Using aliases and fictitious business addresses.

Carter will begin his state sentence after serving a 46-month federal sentence he received last month on federal fraud charges. Those charges stemmed from accusations that he received money for merchandise from two St. Louis-area appliance dealers but did not provide the merchandise.

Carol Jeanne DeHater of St. Louis also was indicted by the grand jury with Carter; she is scheduled to go to trial Dec. 11. The state's charges of unlawful merchandising practices against DeHater are merely accusations; she is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818