Three Plead Guilty in $2M Auto Auction Fraud Scheme

Three individuals, Brian Baker, Stephanie Baker, and Jerry W. Hutchins, have pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering in a scheme that defrauded a Murfreesboro automobile auction house of over $2 million. The Bakers, both from Mount Juliet, and Hutchins from Dowelltown, operated fake vehicle transactions between February 2017 and November 2018, making it appear as though they had sold vehicles and fraudulently obtaining funds from Dealers Auto Auction Group. Stephanie Baker, serving as the auction's general manager, facilitated the issuance of checks to their businesses based on these bogus sales, while the trio repeatedly recycled the same vehicles in their fraudulent dealings. They face sentencing on September 11, 2025, with potential prison terms of up to 20 years for the wire fraud conspiracy. The U.S. Attorney's Office emphasized its commitment to holding accountable those who commit economic crimes. Additionally, the government is pursuing over $4 million in forfeitures linked to the fraudulent proceeds.