Published: November 14, 2007 11:35 pm      

Prison sentence is handed out in classic car scam

His Internet classic car business a fraud, a former Cambria County man has been sentenced to 61/2 years in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $1 million restitution.

Authorities said Paul Stephen Zamboni, 46, whose address was listed as the 300 block of Walters Avenue, Cresson, bilked an elderly Wisconsin couple out of $543,000 and swindled others.

Zamboni was living in Chandler, Ariz., at the time of the incidents.

U.S. District Judge Kim R. Gibson ordered Zamboni to serve an additional three years of supervised probation when he’s released from prison.

The restitution totaled $993,083, according to a lien filed against Zamboni in the Cambria County prothonotary’s office.

In the fraudulent car deals, Zamboni offered for sale and promised to deliver a 1969 Chevy Chevelle for $17,000; a 1970 Chevelle for $44,900; a 1967 Chevy Impala for $67,770; a 1970 Plymouth Superbird for $17,345; a 2005 Ford GT for $182,500; and a 2005 BMW M5 for $17,245.

In addition, Zamboni also was charged with convincing a Valhalla, N.Y., man to pay $7,500 for Rolex watch advertised on e-Bay.

He never followed through with any deliveries, federal authorities said.

Though indicted in Arizona, Zamboni pleaded guilty at U.S. District Court in Johnstown to federal mail and wire convictions for money mailed or wired to him.

The older couple, who met Zamboni while spending winters in Arizona, became friends with him and invested in what they thought was his legitimate business, the European Auto Network.

Eventually, they lost their life savings of $200,000 and an additional $350,000 they borrowed or obtained through credit cards, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Valkovci said.

Zamboni told the man he viewed him as his second father, and that – after learning that the retired teacher was a World War II veteran – he wanted to cater to veterans in his business.

The swindle took place mostly in 2005, although the Wisconsin woman had mailed him a check for $77,300 as early as October 2002, according to the charges.