Not all cars were stolen

What do you do if you want to get rid of your car?
If you are Masimillano Temperino, 36, of Matawan, New Jersey, you falsely report it stolen and then make a false insurance claim.
According to District Attorney Richard A. Brown, Temperino used Jamshid Bayatt, 30, of Whitestone, and an associate of the recently busted auto theft ring, to act as a broker/middleman between himself and the owner of a chop shop who would take possession of the vehicle, a 2003 Mercedes Benz E320.
On July 1, 2006, Temperino was allegedly instructed by the chop shop owner to turn over his car and car keys to Bayatt, who allegedly demanded a cash payment for his involvement. Ten days later, Temperino allegedly reported the car stolen to police and to his insurance company, American International Insurance (AIG), and filed an insurance claim for the “stolen” vehicle.
On August 8, Bayatt allegedly arranged to obtain the car keys back from the chop shop owner so he could give them to Temperino, who needed to turn them over to the insurance company.
It was also allegedly agreed that Temperino would pay Bayatt a sum of cash that would be paid to the chop shop owner for disposing of the vehicle.
On September 9, 2006, AIG paid $31,895 - the value of the Mercedes at the time it was reported stolen to Chase Auto Finance, the lessor of the Mercedes - and $239 to Temperino out of the claim.
As a result of “Operation Caliente Cabs,” Temperino was arrested on June 28 and charged with third-degree insurance fraud, first-degree offering a false instrument for filing and fifth-degree conspiracy for allegedly disposing of his vehicle and falsely reporting it stolen.
He was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in Queens Criminal Court on September 20. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison.