10.26.06
Stolen $1Million Ferrari Auto Lease - Terminated Lease
Talk about an expensive auto lease. A Swedish former videogame executive appeared in a LA court yesterday charged with grand theft auto of his auto lease and embezzlement after stealing a rare $1 million dollar Ferrari Enzo that was later written of in a high-speed car crash.
According to the Australian News site, Stefan Eriksson, 44, stole two of the coveted Ferrari Enzos and a Mercedes Benz from a British car leasing company before shipping them off to the US, breaking the terms of his auto leasing arrangement which stated that the cars should remain in the UK. The cars were reported as stolen when Mr Eriksson stopped paying the lease on the vehicles. His lawyers admit that he had fallen behind on the payments, but deny that he had stolen the car.
Mr Eriksson was arrested after he wrote off one of the Ferrari Enzos in a 260kmph crash near Malibu in February of this year. He was found to be over the blood-alcohol limit and pleaded no contest to charges last week that he was driving under the influence. He is also facing gun charges after a firearm was found at his home when it was raided in April.
Unconfirmed reports have said Mr Eriksson resigned from video games company Gizmondo in October 2005 and has previous convictions for forgery and fraud in Sweden. Now talk about a means to terminate a car lease!