The dealership is suing its former manager for charging under-the-table markups among other things
May 2, 2024 at 17:04
- A Porsche dealership is suing its former sales manager over fraud, breach of contract, and more.
- The employee is accused of charging customers an under-the-counter fee to provide access to desirable cars.
- The dealer wants both the money paid to the manager under the table and all of his wages back from the time during the alleged scheme.
A Porsche dealership in Charleston, South Carolina, alleges that they uncovered a scheme in which their former sales manager, James Marino, allegedly exploited his position to solicit under-the-counter payments for access to highly sought-after cars. The dealership is now suing Marino for various offenses and aims to recover not only the money it paid him but also the funds that customers paid directly to him.
According to the lawsuit filed in the ninth judicial court, Marino worked for Porsche Charleston for over six years. His LinkedIn page lists positions with various Porsche dealers dating back to 2007. The dealer in this case claims that his improper conduct started at least as far back as 2022. During that time, he “had the final say in determining which potential buyer would be allowed to purchase these high-demand automobiles,” the suit alleges.
It goes on to outline the entire scheme as well. In 2022, he allegedly began requiring buyers to pay him thousands of dollars privately as a condition to gain access to rare models. While Porsche Charleston doesn’t specify exactly how much money it believes Marino took, it estimates the figure to be “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Additionally, it asserts that it had no knowledge of the scheme until March of this year when it discovered it and subsequently terminated him.
The dealer is seeking a judgment over several allegations, including breach of fiduciary duty, breach of duty of loyalty, conversion, fraud, and breach of contract. It is proposing a jury trial with the hopes of recovering both the money it paid him during this scheme and the funds that customers paid him.
The lawsuit remains silent on whether the dealership will compensate the customers allegedly defrauded by Marino. Since the dealer didn’t receive these under-the-table payments, it has no stronger claim to the money than Marino does. The suit is still in its early stages, and as of this writing, Marino has no defense attorney listed. His lengthy career at Porsche dealerships could very well be over though.
