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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The owner of an Exeter auto sale business pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges he falsified odometer entries to secure vehicle loans for his customers.</p><p>Avenue Auto Sales owner Joseph Appel, 36, pleaded guilty in Luzerne County Court to one misdemeanor count of theft by deception after state police claim he doctored the entries on 16 work orders that were then sent to the UFCW Federal Credit Union, Wyoming.</p><p>State police in Wyoming said Appel also altered the mileage readings on five vehicles that were repossessed by the credit union. Understating the mileage on those vehicles resulted in the credit union possessing five vehicles with far less value than was reported, state police said.</p><p>The loss to the credit union amounted to $5,174, according to state police.</p><p>State police were notified of the alleged fraud in October 2014, after a UFCW employee noticed the mileage recorded on the electronic copy given to the credit union was a much higher mileage reading than what was presented by Appel.</p><p>In a subsequent interview with state police, Appel admitted to inputting lower mileage totals to help his customers secure loans, but maintained he didn&#8217;t do anything wrong and it wasn&#8217;t his fault that the credit union wasn&#8217;t double checking their paperwork.</p><p>Appel had initially been charged with five counts of theft by deception, 16 counts of forgery and 16 counts of fraudulent business practices in June, but those charges were later dismissed in lower court, according to court records.</p><p>Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas ordered Appel to reimburse the credit union for $5,174 and surrender his state auto salesman and dealers licenses.</p><p>Appel is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 26.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Exeter businessman pleads guilty to theft charges in Wyoming credit union scam