Queen City Motors owner sentenced for fraud scheme

The former owner of Queen City Motors has been sentenced for a fraud scheme in which he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Chris King, 48, of Nixa, was sentenced to four years in federal prison without parole and ordered to pay $646,597 in restitution to his victims and forfeit the same amount to the government, according to a news release from the office of Teresa Moore, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

King in 2021 pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, according to past reporting.

When working at Springfield used car business Queen City Motors, King admitted to stealing identifying information from individuals who were interested in obtaining loans to buy vehicles from him, according to the release. King used the information, without the customers' knowledge, to fraudulently submit loan applications and receive funds wired to his bank.

Between Nov. 1, 2018, and Nov. 8, 2020, King fraudulently submitted at least 30 automobile loan applications and received cash deposits of roughly $783,475, prosecutors say.

Queen City Motors, 925 S. Glenstone Ave., is listed as permanently closed on Google, and Commander Autos is now located on the site.