Porsche Restorer Sentenced to 21 Months After Nearly $10M Consignment Fraud

Classic-car owners often entrust restoration shops to repair and resell prized vehicles on consignment. In Fallbrook, California, CPR Classic — a family-run shop specializing in vintage Porsches — instead became the center of a long-running fraud that left dozens of customers with major financial losses.

Andrea Nicole Doherty, 38, took over CPR Classic after her father's death in 2021. Prosecutors say that rather than operate a legitimate consignment business, Doherty engineered a scheme that involved selling consigned vehicles without owners' consent, forging signatures and keeping multiple sale proceeds.

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In July 2026, Doherty pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison. According to court filings, the scheme included several high‑value transactions:

• In 2022 she sold a 1973 Porsche 911E Targa without notifying the owner, then sold the same car again in 2023 and kept both payments; the owner later received a bounced check.
• She accepted $280,000 from a buyer for a 1972 Porsche 911S who received the car but not the title; the original owner received no payment. Doherty then sold that vehicle again for $275,000.
• In 2023 she sold a 1983 Porsche 930 T Slantnose for $130,000 after forging the consignor's signature on the title; the purchaser contacted the original owner a year later and learned the car had already been sold.

By 2024 the California Department of Motor Vehicles suspended CPR Classic's vehicle dealer license, and the business soon ceased operations. Federal investigators say the fraud affected many more transactions than the three tied to the criminal counts: Doherty agreed to pay $9,951,763.04 in restitution to 66 victims, which includes former customers and others harmed by her conduct.

"She took customers for a ride. Today, justice brought the trip to an end," said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon.

"Ms. Doherty's long-running fraud was a deliberate scheme that exploited her customers' trust and left her victims with significant financial losses," said Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI's San Diego Field Office.

This case underscores the risks owners face when consigning high‑value classic cars. Vet restoration and consignment shops carefully, require clear written consignment agreements, verify how proceeds and titles will be handled, and consider escrow or third‑party escrow services for large transactions.