Edgewater couple accused of $1.2 million car dealership scam

Joshua Jongsma
NorthJersey

An Edgewater married couple were accused of theft and tax evasion using their South Hackensack used car dealership that totaled more than $1.2 million, authorities announced on Thursday.

Samyon Gilstein, at left, and Alexandra Gilstein.

Samyon Gilstein, 33, and Alexandra Gilstein, 30, were arrested on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office. The couple owned Sunrise Motors Inc. based on Route 46 and authorities claim they falsely reported taxes collected and stole the funds, according to the prosecutor's office.

Sunrise Motors Inc. is listed as "permanently closed" online and a phone number listed on its Facebook page is not operational. 

The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and South Hackensack Police Department received complaints about the dealership in December 2016 and January 2017, according to the prosecutor's office. The complaints came from customers, representatives of the New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission, and the New Jersey Department of the Treasury.

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Between Jan. 1, 2013 and Dec. 31, 2016, the Gilsteins, while operating Sunrise Motors, collected more than $1.6 million in New Jersey sales tax but falsely reported on quarterly tax returns that the business had only collected approximately $360,000, the prosecutor's office stated.

The Gilsteins were both released and are scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 6. 

Email: jongsma@northjersey.com