8News investigates how a car trade-in turned into a nightmare for one Chesterfield couple

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A Chesterfield couple says they are left wondering what’s next after the license plates they turned into to a county dealership for a trade-in was found used in a crash months later.

Kymera Leath told 8News at the start of this year she was in the market for a new car after her old one ran its course. After shopping around, she says she found the perfect fit at VA Cars in February.

When it was time to close the deal, she says she gave her title and license plates to the salesperson who told her and her husband that they would be turned into the Department of Motor Vehicles. Taking the salesperson for their word, the two say they went on with their lives and started fresh with their new Honda Civic.

“I was told that those plates were going to be sent to DMV along with the title,” Leath said. “We thought everything was sealed and done with that car.”

However, things took a turn five months later when she received two documents from attorney offices telling her that her old license plate used on the car she traded in were involved in two crashes on May 31 and June 1. After reading through the letters, she says the driver responsible for the crashes is the same salesperson who sold her the car.

A spokesperson from Richmond Police tells 8News the person named in the letters Leath received is responsible for hitting several parked cars in the Shockoe Bottom area on Franklin Street.

After visiting the Department of Motor Vehicles, Leath found out that her title was turned into the department, but her license plates weren’t.

8News called and visited the dealership to learn how this happened. While an employee declined to say how this incident happened, we’ve learned the salesperson who sold Leath the car is no longer working for the company.

Leath has since filed a police report with Chesterfield Police for stolen plates and says she hopes her story will help other sellers beware of what can potentially happen to them.

“Transfer your plates over to your new vehicle. Or if you’re not transferring them, just get them and take them with you to the DMV yourself,” Leath said.

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