Simsbury Car Salesman/Hartford Man Sentenced To Prison For Fraud: Feds

HARTFORD/SIMSBURY, CT — A Hartford resident and former car salesman in Simsbury was sent to prison Tuesday for his role in an elaborate fraud scheme defrauding credit unions and banks.

Marc H. Silverman, acting U.S. attorney for Connecticut, said Ronnie Bonner, 64, of Hartford, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport to two years of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding multiple credit unions and banks through an auto loan scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between September 2014 and February 2015, while working as a sales associate for an automobile dealership in Simsbury, Bonner defrauded credit unions and banks.

Silverman said he did this by applying for, in his name and the names of acquaintances, 19 loans to purchase motor vehicles identified with specific Vehicle Identification Numbers (“VINs”).

For most transactions, no motor vehicle was being purchased, Silverman said.

He said Bonner cashed or deposited the loan disbursement checks, and typically made several payments on the loan before stopping payments.

Bonner received a total of $646,351.38 in loan proceeds through this scheme, authorities said.

Silverman said the judge ordered Bonner to pay restitution of $395,124.40.

Bonner was arrested on Nov. 5, 2020. On April 27, 2023, he pleaded guilty to financial institution fraud.

Bonner, who is released on a $25,000 bond, is required to report to prison on May 7.

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