A federal judge has ordered Scott Radtke, 60, of Clovis, to begin serving a four-and-half-year prison sentence on March 10.

Radtke, who owned the California Motoring Company, was sentenced Thursday after previously being convicted of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced Radtke’s sentence in a news release on Friday afternoon.

Fraud Involved 48 Vehicles, $2 Million

According to court documents, Radtke executed a scheme to defraud banks beginning in 2016 and ending in mid-2017.

When customers wanted to buy vehicles not in stock, Radtke said he could arrange to buy them from other dealerships. After getting up-front payments from the customers or their banks, Radtke spent the money on business and personal expenses.

Radtke’s fraud scheme involved at least 48 vehicles and more than $2 million in fraudulently obtained proceeds.

The case resulted from an investigation by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the FBI, and Clovis police.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael G. Tierney and Alexandre M. Dempsey prosecuted the case.