NEWPORT — A former auto dealership manager received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to embezzlement and fraudulent vehicle documentation charges in a case involving mishandled customer payments and vehicle titles.
James Royer, 32, of Orleans, pleaded guilty on December 19 to felony embezzlement and forged paperwork charges, along with two misdemeanor counts related to DMV title documentation. The plea agreement dismissed seven additional felony charges.
Investigators said Royer, while serving as general manager of Royer’s Auto Sales, failed to forward collected taxes and fees to the state DMV and converted dealer funds for personal use, including payments on personal vehicles. The investigation began after customer complaints in July 2022 about unpaid trade-in loans and missing vehicle titles.
Court documents revealed that 31 vehicle transactions were processed without payment to the DMV, with initial missing fees totaling approximately $17,000.
The investigation also revealed Royer allegedly obtained and misused more than $900,000 in Covid recovery loans for both the auto dealership and his father’s construction business without the latter’s knowledge.
Royer received a four-year suspended sentence with two years of probation through December 2026.
