News Tip Line 704-240-9757 or 704-300-1996

ROSENBAUM TO APPEAR IN COURT TUESDAY



By Jon Mayhew
Publisher

EAST LINCOLN – A former Denver car dealer is scheduled to appear in Lincoln County court Tuesday on felony charges that he failed to provide titles to customers at Auto Sports by The Lake. Thirty-nine year old John Rosenbaum closed the dealership earlier this year and – according to authorities with the state Division of Motor Vehicles – willingly failed to obtain clear tities to vehicles by not paying off previous debts owed on those vehicles.

According to warrants on file, Rosenbaum then resold vehicles for as much as $45,000 but never gave the new owners the car’s title.

Rosenbaum was charged with multiple counts upon his arrest last week and was freed on a $5,000 unsecured bond. The Carolina Scoop discovered this wasn’t Rosenbaum’s first brush with the law.

Court records indicated Rosenbaum plead guilty last January to two counts of failing to deliver a title. He was sentenced to a year’s probation and paid $160 in fines and court costs.
In a previous article, Rosenbaum said he’s cooperated fully with the DMV and has delivered customers their tags and registrations. He then tried to divert the issue at hand by blaming the economy for the failure of his business.
He cited that vehicles on his lot was dropping in value over $1,000 per week. The car lot has been sold to Darrin Groomes, owner/operator of Darrin Groomes Auto Sales in Linclonton.

"In a month's time, I lost $4,000 per vehicle; $4,000 times 200 units equals $800,000. Car dealers all over the country are suffering right now for that very same reason," said Rosenbaum, who is now working at a Lexington, NC, Cadillac dealership.

More than two years ago, Rosenbaum made headlines while complaining about security at his Denver dealership. Rosenbaum became angered when he discovered multiple thefts of tires and wheels from cars on his lot. While Rosenbaum tried blaming the sheriff’s department for not providing “adequate security,” The Carolina Scoop learned that Rosenbaum’s business didn’t have working security cameras and that a gate wasn’t latched at night. Deputies did patrol the lot on a regular basis.

“I have too much inventory,” said Rosenbaum at the time. “I can’t close the gate.”