Champion Porsche Salesman disappears with Customer deposits

airwave808 · 09-26-2018, 12:37 PM

Not sure if everyone is aware of the story.
Link: https://rennlist.com/articles/rennli...h-2-5-million/

For years, an employee at the largest U.S. Porsche dealer scammed customers out of millions, and no one was the wiser.
The world of limited edition Porsche models has become hyper-competitive. It’s a game filled with collectors and enthusiasts chomping at the bit to get their hands on the latest and greatest vehicles Porsche has to offer. Some do it for profit, others simply out of a passion for automobiles. But when you mix demand with big money and greed, someone is bound to try and take advantage of the situation.

And it appears that a now missing Porsche dealership employee did exactly that – swindle a host of potential clients out of $2.5 million dollars in deposit money. The man, Shiraaz Sookralli, held the title of vice president of marketing at the largest Porsche dealer in the U.S. – Champion Porsche in Pompano Beach, Florida. He collected the missing funds as deposits for limited edition models over the period of several years. But as it turns out, none of those cars actually existed. And now Sookralli and the cash are nowhere to be found.

The situation seemingly came out of nowhere last week, when Rennlist member dfoster posted a query asking if anyone had dealt with Sookralli in the past. And what followed was an explosive discussion in which STG revealed the details of what was really going on.

“He set up his own shill company called Champion Autosports and took deposits for Porsche GT car allocations through it. Now he’s missing. He was also involved in some fraudulent activity at Champion Porsche earlier this year and last year regarding a 911R. Was allowed to continue his employment with them after that, which allowed him to further his $2.5MM fraud. He has supposedly been with Champion Porsche around 10 years.”

Porsche 911R

A lawsuit was filed over the 911R fraud case back in February by another dealer, M & L Luxury Cars. The reseller entered into an agreement to purchase two of the rare cars and placed a $350,000 deposit. The first was never delivered. The second was, but with a $350,000 markup. Attempts to obtain a refund were met with multiple bad checks from Sookralli. Champion already knew about this incident, which took place back in 2016.

“It looks as if Champion IS NOT honoring their deposits right now, but directing victims to their attorney. Champion is also calling themselves a victim. Bad customer relations treating their customers like this. They have offered no apologies and management isn’t taking victims calls. I feel very sorry for the guys who were taken advantage of here. Hopefully some resolution by PCNA / Porsche Cars North America and Champion Porsche happens here.”

Amazingly enough, Sookralli’s shell company was created way back in 2010. Thus, it’s very likely the fraud goes back even further. In the meantime, a new lawsuit was also filed last week in Florida’s 17th Circuit Court.

That explosive paperwork alleges that Sookralli created fake order documents for customers and then diverted their deposit money into his own bank account. That account has since been emptied. The lawsuit also claims that Sookralli admitted all of this to Champion Porsche via emails and phone calls.

Meanwhile, Champion Porsche claims to have no knowledge of what Sookralli was up to over the last few years. Those who fell victim to the scam are understandably skeptical. As is The Drive, who reached out to Porsche Cars North America and spoke with two of Sookralli’s victims.

PCNA told The Drive that Champion themselves notified them about the situation and that they assured them they would rectify it. “Champion Porsche has assured us it will help Porsche buyers who might have been impacted and is asking those customers to give their information to Champion’s legal counsel,” a spokesperson said.

Both of the victims they spoke to admitted feeling very comfortable with Sookralli, who seems to have enjoyed a strong reputation with his customers. He reportedly communicated with them frequently up until his disappearance in August. To the point where none of the other victims found it strange that they were asked to wire their deposit funds into the shell Champion Autosport account.

Even more interesting, the first customer has since found out that he has a build in progress under his name, but not the one he originally ordered. The second customer actually received a car, but it wasn’t the correct spec. He claims that Sookralli pressured him into taking it anyway.

All-in-all, it appears that at least two dozen people fell victim to this scam. And the dealership’s silence on the matter doesn’t appear to be helping the situation. And amazingly enough, it comes on the heels of the tragic death of Champion’s owner, Devindar Maraj, this July.

It’s the kind of story that you’d expect to read in a fiction novel. But sadly, this tale of greed and deception is very much real. And you can bet that this is only the beginning of what appears to be a much, much deeper situation.

TurboSid · 09-26-2018, 02:06 PM

Champion released a statement last week -

M3Fahrer · 10-10-2018, 04:18 PM

I would never buy from Champion, but I would use them in price negotiations to purchase elsewhere. (If I were ever serious about buying a Porsche) On a side note, I'm going to the Porsche Performance Drives at Palm beach International Raceway end of October. It's basically the M Track days equivalent, but free.

gatorfast · 10-10-2018, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M3Fahrer

I would never buy from Champion, but I would use them in price negotiations to purchase elsewhere. (If I were ever serious about buying a Porsche) On a side note, I'm going to the Porsche Performance Drives at Palm beach International Raceway end of October. It's basically the M Track days equivalent, but free.

I'll be there too!

Liquid2.0T · 10-14-2018, 08:29 PM

What?! LINK to this event.... How do you get an invitation code?

M3Fahrer · 10-16-2018, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liquid2.0T

What?! LINK to this event.... How do you get an invitation code?

https://porscheperformancedrives.com

Somehow I received an invite in the mail about a month ago. Looks like it's full now

gatorfast · 10-30-2018, 08:13 AM

The Porsche Performance Drives event was pretty weak compared to the BMW M Track Days event. BMW gives you much more track time and lets you push the cars MUCH harder.

It was free so cant complain but I wouldnt pay to do the Porsche event. I had never driven a Porsche though and was excited to experience it, just wish I could have gotten a better feel for each car.

09-26-2018, 12:37 PM	#1
airwave808 First Lieutenant 30 Rep 375 Posts Drives: M4 GTS Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Tampa, Florida iTrader: (1)	Champion Porsche Salesman disappears with Customer deposits Not sure if everyone is aware of the story. Link: https://rennlist.com/articles/rennli...h-2-5-million/ For years, an employee at the largest U.S. Porsche dealer scammed customers out of millions, and no one was the wiser. The world of limited edition Porsche models has become hyper-competitive. It’s a game filled with collectors and enthusiasts chomping at the bit to get their hands on the latest and greatest vehicles Porsche has to offer. Some do it for profit, others simply out of a passion for automobiles. But when you mix demand with big money and greed, someone is bound to try and take advantage of the situation. And it appears that a now missing Porsche dealership employee did exactly that – swindle a host of potential clients out of $2.5 million dollars in deposit money. The man, Shiraaz Sookralli, held the title of vice president of marketing at the largest Porsche dealer in the U.S. – Champion Porsche in Pompano Beach, Florida. He collected the missing funds as deposits for limited edition models over the period of several years. But as it turns out, none of those cars actually existed. And now Sookralli and the cash are nowhere to be found. The situation seemingly came out of nowhere last week, when Rennlist member dfoster posted a query asking if anyone had dealt with Sookralli in the past. And what followed was an explosive discussion in which STG revealed the details of what was really going on. “He set up his own shill company called Champion Autosports and took deposits for Porsche GT car allocations through it. Now he’s missing. He was also involved in some fraudulent activity at Champion Porsche earlier this year and last year regarding a 911R. Was allowed to continue his employment with them after that, which allowed him to further his $2.5MM fraud. He has supposedly been with Champion Porsche around 10 years.” Porsche 911R A lawsuit was filed over the 911R fraud case back in February by another dealer, M & L Luxury Cars. The reseller entered into an agreement to purchase two of the rare cars and placed a $350,000 deposit. The first was never delivered. The second was, but with a $350,000 markup. Attempts to obtain a refund were met with multiple bad checks from Sookralli. Champion already knew about this incident, which took place back in 2016. “It looks as if Champion IS NOT honoring their deposits right now, but directing victims to their attorney. Champion is also calling themselves a victim. Bad customer relations treating their customers like this. They have offered no apologies and management isn’t taking victims calls. I feel very sorry for the guys who were taken advantage of here. Hopefully some resolution by PCNA / Porsche Cars North America and Champion Porsche happens here.” Amazingly enough, Sookralli’s shell company was created way back in 2010. Thus, it’s very likely the fraud goes back even further. In the meantime, a new lawsuit was also filed last week in Florida’s 17th Circuit Court. That explosive paperwork alleges that Sookralli created fake order documents for customers and then diverted their deposit money into his own bank account. That account has since been emptied. The lawsuit also claims that Sookralli admitted all of this to Champion Porsche via emails and phone calls. Meanwhile, Champion Porsche claims to have no knowledge of what Sookralli was up to over the last few years. Those who fell victim to the scam are understandably skeptical. As is The Drive, who reached out to Porsche Cars North America and spoke with two of Sookralli’s victims. PCNA told The Drive that Champion themselves notified them about the situation and that they assured them they would rectify it. “Champion Porsche has assured us it will help Porsche buyers who might have been impacted and is asking those customers to give their information to Champion’s legal counsel,” a spokesperson said. Both of the victims they spoke to admitted feeling very comfortable with Sookralli, who seems to have enjoyed a strong reputation with his customers. He reportedly communicated with them frequently up until his disappearance in August. To the point where none of the other victims found it strange that they were asked to wire their deposit funds into the shell Champion Autosport account. Even more interesting, the first customer has since found out that he has a build in progress under his name, but not the one he originally ordered. The second customer actually received a car, but it wasn’t the correct spec. He claims that Sookralli pressured him into taking it anyway. All-in-all, it appears that at least two dozen people fell victim to this scam. And the dealership’s silence on the matter doesn’t appear to be helping the situation. And amazingly enough, it comes on the heels of the tragic death of Champion’s owner, Devindar Maraj, this July. It’s the kind of story that you’d expect to read in a fiction novel. But sadly, this tale of greed and deception is very much real. And you can bet that this is only the beginning of what appears to be a much, much deeper situation.
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09-26-2018, 02:06 PM	#2
TurboSid Brigadier General 1110 Rep 3,262 Posts Drives: 2022 M4Cx BSM/FR Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Florida iTrader: (4) Garage List 2008 335i [0.00]	Champion released a statement last week - __________________ 2022 BSM/FR M4 Competition X-Drive 2017 MW/SO M4 ZCP [SOLD] • 2015 MW/SO M4 M-DCT FBO [SOLD] • 2011 AW/CR 335is DCT FBO [SOLD] • 2008 AW/CR 335i 6MT FBO [SOLD]
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10-10-2018, 04:18 PM	#3
M3Fahrer First Lieutenant 300 Rep 380 Posts Drives: 2018 M3 CS Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: South FL iTrader: (0)	I would never buy from Champion, but I would use them in price negotiations to purchase elsewhere. (If I were ever serious about buying a Porsche) On a side note, I'm going to the Porsche Performance Drives at Palm beach International Raceway end of October. It's basically the M Track days equivalent, but free. __________________ Current: 2018 ///M3 CS - Alpinweiss Current: 2022 ///M3 Competition - Brooklyn Grey Previous: 2015 ///M3 - Alpinweiss - Euro Delivery
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10-14-2018, 08:29 PM	#5
Liquid2.0T Lieutenant 402 Rep 589 Posts Drives: It used to be a BMW... Join Date: May 2009 Location: Miami, FL iTrader: (0)	What?! LINK to this event.... How do you get an invitation code? Last edited by Liquid2.0T; 10-14-2018 at 08:35 PM..
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10-30-2018, 08:13 AM	#7
gatorfast Major General 4995 Rep 6,862 Posts Drives: 718 Cayman Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: SoFla iTrader: (4)	The Porsche Performance Drives event was pretty weak compared to the BMW M Track Days event. BMW gives you much more track time and lets you push the cars MUCH harder. It was free so cant complain but I wouldnt pay to do the Porsche event. I had never driven a Porsche though and was excited to experience it, just wish I could have gotten a better feel for each car.
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