Arrest made in 3-year-old Novato auto fraud case

The Novato Police Department reported an arrest in a three-year-old fraud case.

In April of 2022, a 1967 Mustang convertible was reported stolen. According to the victim, they left the vehicle with GPM Motors owner, Geoffrey Palermo, in 2020 for repairs. Over the next several months, the victim paid approximately $34,000 for repairs. After not hearing from Palermo, the victim visited Palermo’s shop and discovered he had closed his business and the Mustang had disappeared.

Then, on June 14, 2023, the Novato Police Department’s Investigations Section located an advertisement on Craigslist for a similar Mustang. In an undercover capacity, a detective arranged to view the vehicle listed on Craigslist. Once the vehicle’s VIN was confirmed, NPD detectives arrested the seller. The seller was identified as Geoffrey Palermo. Palermo was arrested and booked into the Marin County Jail for several charges including fraud. The vehicle was recovered and returned to the rightful owner.