Porsche Dealer To Reimburse Customers $2.5 Million Stolen By Former Employee

Porsche’s U.S’s top-volume dealer, Champion Porsche in Florida, has agreed to reimburse more than $2.5 million in deposits to customers after a former employee reportedly stole their deposits without ordering any vehicles.

Last month, a lawsuit filed against former Champion Porsche employee Shiraaz Sookralli revealed that he created a shell company called Champion Autosport and directed customers of the dealership to wire deposit money to the fake company for vehicles including the Porsche 911 GT3 and GT3 RS. Sookralli has disappeared with the money.

In response, Champion Porsche says it plans to advance funds to customers equivalent to their deposits by October 12.

“[We want to] make sure that these victims — that’s what we’re calling them — come out of this from a customer satisfaction perspective as satisfied as possible,” the dealer’s lawyer Roy Diaz said.

According to Diaz, Champion Porsche is finalizing yhe terms of the agreement and will try to recover the stolen money through its pending lawsuit against Sookralli, his wife, and the Champion Autosport shell company.

A Champion Autosport account at Bank of America was frozen last month, but reportedly had just $40 left in it. The dealer has asked a judge to freeze a further four personal bank accounts which received transfers from Champion Autosport and are linked to Sookralli,.

Authorities continue to investigate the matter, but Sookralli is nowhere to be found. Champion Porsche said in court records that they are in contact with him via email, Automotive News reports.