(Lawrenceville, Ga., 12/9/24) – A Suwanee man who claimed to offer help to people needing cars while recovering from drug addiction pled guilty on Friday to maintaining an illegal enterprise designed to get money from would-be buyers without giving them the cars he promised.

Aaron Edmond Hayes, 54, pled guilty to violation of the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act for deceiving people into giving him a total of $76,827.87 for the promise of cars that he never delivered. Hayes was ordered to serve one year in prison followed by two years in work release. He also was ordered to pay restitution for the full amount of money he took from the victims.

“This is a good resolution that gives the people back the money that this defendant took,” said Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson. “He took advantage of people who were vulnerable, and this order holds him fully accountable.”

In his marketing, Hayes purported his company, Wheels N Recovery, to sell used vehicles to individuals who were in recovery from drug addiction. But he did not deliver the vehicles he was paid for. Using his company he deceived 22 people, with many of his victims being in Suwanee. In December 2023, Hayes was arrested by Suwanee Police.

Gwinnett County Chief Assistant District Attorney John Melvin indicted the case and negotiated the plea agreement. Suwanee Police Department Det. Alex Losquadro was instrumental in investigating the case.