Nine people have been indicted and arrested in connection with a title fraud scheme that operated in North Georgia for seven years.
What’s Happening: The Hall County Sheriff’s Office arrested nine suspects in December 2025 following a six-month investigation into a scheme where unlicensed drivers were charged hundreds of dollars to register vehicles under corporate names. The scheme operated from 2018 through 2025 and involved multiple auto dealerships in Hall County.
What’s Important: Brandy Marie Pitts, 46, of Lavonia and Susan Faye Palencia, 61, of Homer owned multiple LLCs operating out of office space in Gainesville. The investigation determined the pair illegally obtained more than one million dollars over seven years. All nine suspects were indicted for violation of Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
How It Worked: Local car dealers sold older-model, high-mileage vehicles at elevated prices to unlicensed residents. An unlicensed person cannot legally register a vehicle in Georgia. Sales personnel at the dealerships directed customers to Pitts and Palencia, who charged the customers hundreds of dollars to register the vehicles under their corporation names. The women also urged drivers to obtain insurance through America Insurance Agency, a company they owned. Hundreds of vehicles were registered under different companies, all owned by Pitts and Palencia.
Who Was Arrested: The Hall County District Attorney’s Office issued arrest orders on Dec. 19, 2025. All nine suspects have been booked at the Hall County Jail:
- Brandy Marie Pitts, 46, Lavonia
- Susan Faye Palencia, 61, Homer
- Manuel Rene Alvarez, 51, Gainesville
- Curtis Allen Livingston, 51, Suwanee
- Scott Wedford Norris, 36, Marietta
- Maria D. Escamilla, 47, Flowery Branch
- Vianney Garcia Guerrero, 36, Buford
- Lindsey Ngu, 25, Gainesville
- Juan Camilo Sardi, 27, Gainesville
Current Status: All suspects except Lindsey Ngu posted bond and have been released from custody. Ngu remains in the Hall County Jail on a drug court hold.
⚠️ Reminder: Crime articles contain only charges and information from police reports and law enforcement statements. Suspects and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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