Sonoma Co. Auto Shop Owner, Wife Sentenced For Scamming Customers

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — An auto repair business owner who was convicted of stealing from his customers was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years and four months in prison for grand theft, identity theft and welfare fraud, Sonoma County prosecutors said. Christopher John Miranda, 43, of Windsor, pleaded no contest in September to 13 counts of felony grand theft, one count of identity theft and in a separate case one count of welfare fraud.

He will serve a three-year term for welfare fraud concurrent to the term for grand theft and identity theft, prosecutors said. In addition to prison, Miranda was ordered to pay about $850,000 in restitution.

Miranda and his wife Pamela Malfa, 36, owned and operated West Coast Auto Craft, which specialized in restoring and repairing classic cars. They took tens of thousands of dollars over the course of 10 years from their customers but never finished the work on the vehicles, prosecutors said.

Miranda held onto the cars claiming they needed additional work and charged customers more money for work he never performed. Prosecutors said investigators found more than 30 classic cars in a Cloverdale field that had little to no work done on them.

• Windsor Classic Car Shop Owners To Serve Time For Identity, Auto Theft: DA

Some of the cars were in worse condition because of exposure to the weather and improper storage. Prosecutors said the cars have been returned to their owners. Both Miranda and Malfa were charged with 57 counts of grand theft and identity theft, prosecutors said.

During the grand theft investigation, law enforcement officers learned Miranda made intentional misrepresentations on a welfare application and received more than $10,000 in excess payments.

Prosecutors said Malfa pleaded no contest to 12 counts of grand theft and was sentenced Nov. 14 to five years probation, 180 days in the county jail and ordered to pay restitution.

District Attorney Jill Ravitch said the grand theft involved dozens of victims.

"Although we have been able to return over 40 vehicles to their owners, the financial harm caused by this defendant in the community is significant," Ravitch said.

By Bay City News Service

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