David Cote Pleads Guilty To Theft From South Burlington Car Dealership

Topics:  David Cote, Freedom Nissan

U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Vermont
3 February 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that David Cote, 44, of Essex Junction, pleaded guilty on January 28, 2015, in United States District Court in Brattleboro to a charge of access device fraud. U.S. District Judge J. Garvan Murtha released Cote on conditions pending sentencing, which is set for May 19.

On January 13, 2015, the United States Attorney filed a criminal information charging Cote with access device fraud. According to the information, from about 2009 until his firing in 2012, Cote was employed as the parts manager at Freedom Nissan, a car dealership in South Burlington. As parts manager, Cote was responsible for ordering parts and accessories for use in the business. Freedom Nissan purchased some parts and accessories through vendors on e-Bay. Freedom Nissan paid for many of these Internet purchases with a company credit card.

For some period of time prior to his termination, Cote defrauded Freedom Nissan of thousands of dollars by ordering parts and accessories from vendors on e-Bay, paying for the parts and accessories with the company credit card, then selling the parts and accessories in private sales, and pocketing the proceeds of these sales without reimbursing Freedom Nissan.

Cote faces up to ten years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence will be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.

This case was investigated by the South Burlington Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Cote is represented by Richard Goldsborough. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.