Importing Sports Cars
05-09-2006, 09:37 PM
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Track Day
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Importing Sports Cars
This article appeared in today's Chicago Tribune:
Trial begins on suburban man's sports car imports
A wealthy Oak Brook businessman illegally imported in 2000 a rare, $1million sports car from England,lying to U.S. customs officials in order to skirt import taxes, a prosecutor told a federal jury on Monday.
Thomas Wieringa, who owned his own racing team, used a ruse to import the 1998 McLaren F1, which features a gold-plated engine and can reach speeds of 240 m.p.h., said Assistant U.S. Atty. James M. Kuhn Sr.
Wieringa falsely claimed a British associate owned the McLaren and another car-a 1999 Ferrari 360 Modena, worth about $126,000-and that the two cars would be in the U.S. temporarily,Kuhn said.
In fact,Wieringa "owned both of those cars while he tried to convince customs that (his associate) owned them," Kuhn told jurors in his opening statement.
Wieringa's trial began Monday before a jury and U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly. Wieringa is charged with illegally importing the McLaren and Ferrari and with trying to ship the McLaren back to England after authorities ordered him not to move the vehicle.
But Wieringa's lawyer, Mark Rotert, argued Monday that Wieringa had not lied to customs officials and that Wieringa's associate ,Paul Cherry, had owned an interest in the car.
He said Wieringa planned to use the McLaren to promote his racing team,Sigma Autosport in Bridgeview.
"This was never about smuggling," Rotertsaid.
Cherry also has been charged. His case is pending.
Kuhn said Wieringa knew he couldn't legally own the cars in the U.S. without modifying them.
Rotert said Wieringa had tried his best to answer questions on government forms but was tripped up by an ambiguous question.
He said Wieringa also hired a professional customs broker to handle some paperwork,but the broker made "dumb,clumsy mistakes."
I don't think it takes Albert Einstein to figure this one out!
Trial begins on suburban man's sports car imports
A wealthy Oak Brook businessman illegally imported in 2000 a rare, $1million sports car from England,lying to U.S. customs officials in order to skirt import taxes, a prosecutor told a federal jury on Monday.
Thomas Wieringa, who owned his own racing team, used a ruse to import the 1998 McLaren F1, which features a gold-plated engine and can reach speeds of 240 m.p.h., said Assistant U.S. Atty. James M. Kuhn Sr.
Wieringa falsely claimed a British associate owned the McLaren and another car-a 1999 Ferrari 360 Modena, worth about $126,000-and that the two cars would be in the U.S. temporarily,Kuhn said.
In fact,Wieringa "owned both of those cars while he tried to convince customs that (his associate) owned them," Kuhn told jurors in his opening statement.
Wieringa's trial began Monday before a jury and U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly. Wieringa is charged with illegally importing the McLaren and Ferrari and with trying to ship the McLaren back to England after authorities ordered him not to move the vehicle.
But Wieringa's lawyer, Mark Rotert, argued Monday that Wieringa had not lied to customs officials and that Wieringa's associate ,Paul Cherry, had owned an interest in the car.
He said Wieringa planned to use the McLaren to promote his racing team,Sigma Autosport in Bridgeview.
"This was never about smuggling," Rotertsaid.
Cherry also has been charged. His case is pending.
Kuhn said Wieringa knew he couldn't legally own the cars in the U.S. without modifying them.
Rotert said Wieringa had tried his best to answer questions on government forms but was tripped up by an ambiguous question.
He said Wieringa also hired a professional customs broker to handle some paperwork,but the broker made "dumb,clumsy mistakes."
I don't think it takes Albert Einstein to figure this one out!
