If you love late-model Maseratis and helping municipal governments in Northern New Jersey, this may be the auction for you. The borough of Closter is selling a 2015 Maserati Quattroporte through an online auction after confiscating it in a criminal investigation.
The white sedan has the base 3-liter V6 engine and 63,150 miles. As of Wednesday, the high bid is $36,100 on Municibid.com. Over 75 people have already bid on the car with no reserve. The auction closes on Jan. 4, 2022.
A quick Google search of 2015 Quattroporte prices shows that the high bidder may have a bit of a more charitable side to them. Cars with similar milage are listed for between $29-$35,000.
But if you’re wondering how the town acquired this car, you’re not alone. The answer, though, is pretty simple: Like many cars auctioned by towns, it came from a criminal investigation.
Closter police confiscated the car during a 2018 investigation into a suspect who was accused of buying a “significant amount of stolen personal identifying information via the dark web, including bank account information and online security question answers,” a complaint on file in federal court in Newark, New Jersey says.
The suspect used the info to access victim bank accounts in New Jersey, New York and elsewhere, according to the complaint.
The thief eventually pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was sentenced this past February to five years and three months in prison.
The Maserati is a part of restitution between the fraudster and Closter. The sale of the car enables Closter tocollect revenue that can go toward projects, programs, public safety initiatives and other municipal purposes.
Proceeds from the Quattroporte specifically will go to the borough for road maintenance, community programs, public safety and events for residents.
The car is a bit of an outlier on the Municibid website. Most items listed include used Department of Public Works equipment, electronics, office furniture and more run-of-the-mill cars, like Impalas and Ford F-150s.
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