BOCA RATON – Two Virginia brothers who called themselves professional auto body repair specialists are behind bars after scamming several people into thinking the pair was doing legitimate work.
Blue Marks
Local police arrested Blue Marks, 22, and James Marks, 25, both of Alexandria and charged them with organized scheme to defraud.
Public Information Manager Mark Economou said the scamming started in January when the Marks brothers allegedly approached a 71 year old woman and offered to repair damage to a white Mercedes in her driveway. After consulting with her husband, she agreed to let the two men make the repairs for $750. No written estimate or receipt was given.
Two days later, the couple’s house was burglarized. During the investigation, the couple told police about the two men who had offered to repair the car.
Boca Raton detectives then went to the bank where the check was cashed and were able to obtain one of the Virginia drivers license numbers used to cash the check. While talking to neighbors, police learned that another person let the men work on his two cars. The three cars were taken to a licensed auto body shop for evaluation which determined none of the work done on the cars was up to acceptable standards.
James Marks
In early February, investigators received a call that the two men were back in the area doing another repair. Boca Raton Detective Ron Mello questioned the individuals who said they were not licensed to do auto body repairs in Florida as required by law. They added that they owned an auto body shop in Virginia.
During the investigation, police said, it was also determined that Blue Marks had numerous charges against him in Fairfax County, Virginia for soliciting body repair work without a license.