Two South Salt Lake Residents Admit to Odometer Fraud

Salt Lake City, Utah –Porter R. Hamblin, 20, of South Salt Lake, Utah, pleaded guilty today to three counts of false odometer statements. Last week, Hamblin’s co-defendant, Austin Weilacher, 21, of South Salt Lake, also admitted to the same crimes that defrauded unsuspecting used car purchasers through odometer fraud. 

According to court documents, and statements made at the change of plea hearings, beginning in May 2023 to July 2023, Hamblin and Weilacher engaged in a fraudulent scheme to sell vehicles with broken or false odometers. Hamblin and Weilacher admitted they purchased higher mileage vehicles and then advertised the vehicles for sale on local websites, usually KSL.com. They also admitted they sometimes listed the vehicles with different Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) and/or with lower mileage. Hamblin and Weilacher would then sell the vehicles for an inflated price to consumers in the Salt Lake Valley. The purpose of the scheme was to receive inflated prices for the vehicles and then use the cash from the fraudulent sales to purchase other vehicles to sell to unsuspecting consumers, or to purchase high end vehicles for themselves. As a result of the scheme, Hamblin and Weilacher caused buyers of used vehicles to pay more for the vehicles than they would have paid if they had known the vehicles’ correct mileage readings. 

Hamblin is scheduled to be sentenced August 16, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 8.1 and Weilacher is scheduled to be sentenced August 29, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 8.1. at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. 

United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah made the announcement. 

The case is being investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake (UPD). 

Assistant United States Attorney Stewart M. Young of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.