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Grand Jury Indicts Fresno Classic Car Restorer in $600K Fraud
Bill McEwen updated website photo 2024
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 5 years ago on
July 30, 2020

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A Fresno business owner was arraigned Wednesday for a scheme to defraud the customers of his classic car business, according to a Department of Justice news release.

On Thursday, July 23, a federal grand jury in Fresno returned a 22-count indictment against Jeffrey Scott Hedges, 48, charging him with wire fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors allege that he defrauded his customers of more than $600,000.

You can read the indictment at this link.

FBI Seeks Tips, Other Victims in Case

Anyone with information about Hedges or West Coast Chassis or who believes they may be a victim can contact the FBI at (916) 746-7000.

Hedges now lives in Irvine.

According to court documents, Hedges owned and operated West Coast Chassis LLC. Between November 2015 and January 2019, Hedges advertised his business online as one dedicated to the restoration of classic cars such as Corvettes and Camaros.

However, instead of providing the promised chassis and modifications to the vehicle frames that his customers sent him, Hedges kept the money and failed to do the work.

Hedges Faces 20 Years in Prison

This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Hedges faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

 

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Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

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