CA man and teen arrested in connection to auto scam, SLO County sheriff says
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office arrested two people last month for suspected involvement in a scam ring orchestrated by Romanian nationals across California, a news release said.
On April 3, Sheriff’s Office detectives conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on Highway 101 near Highway 166, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The vehicle had three occupants: 37-year-old Alexandru Florea, of La Puente, and two males aged 17 and 11.
“The three suspects had been spotted earlier at a home in Arroyo Grande attempting to buy a car,” the release said. “A search of their vehicle found a nearly empty bottle of engine oil as well as a gallon jug that was partially full of engine oil.”
The Sheriff’s Office suspected that the trio had participated in an “Oil in the Engine” scam, “where a scammer pretends to be a buyer and contacts a seller on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. They arrange to inspect and test drive the vehicle,” the release said.
Two to three people often accompany the scammer and pretend to be friends of mechanics.
“While one person distracts the seller, another secretly pours oil on the engine. During the test drive, the engine starts smoking, making it seem like the car has a serious problem. The scammer then offers a very low price, hoping the seller, now worried about expensive repairs, will agree to sell the car for far less than its actual value,” the release said.
More than 20 such scams were reported in the county from Nov. 21, to March 22 — which cost victims about $60,000, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies arrested Florea on suspicion of charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, tampering with a vehicle and obtaining money by false pretenses, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
As of Thursday afternoon, Florea was no longer in custody at the San Luis Obispo County Jail, according to the sheriff’s booking log.
Deputies also arrested the teenager and transported him to Juvenile Hall, and he will face court proceedings, Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tony Cipolla said.
Deputies delivered the 11-year-old to Child Welfare Services, and he will not face charges, Cipolla said.
This story was originally published May 1, 2025 at 6:00 PM.
