Con-Artist Caught

The Los Angeles Police Commercial Crimes Division is seeking victims who were ripped off by a man posing as a doctor or an airline pilot who was selling a used Mercedes car.

Detectives have arrested 58-year-old Rudolph Eberhard Bartsch, a resident of Los Angeles and charged him with three counts of Grand Theft Auto. He speaks with a German accent.

This conman would advertise in the Los Angeles Times classified section in a three line ad saying that a doctor or airline pilot was selling a one-owner low mileage Mercedes. If he said he was a doctor, he would dress like one and meet buyers at St. Vincent's Hospital at 3rd Street and Alvarado. A search warrant of his home turned up a pilot's hat and a doctor's outfit. He was caught by a LAPD sting operation.
Barrtsch would buy Junker Mercedes at auctions with 250,000 or more miles and then sell them as one-owner vehicles in extremely good condition. He would allegedly roll back the odometers to show the cars had only 60,000 miles on them.
Detectives are seeking more victims of this con-artist. If you were sold a vehicle by this man please contact the LAPD Commercial Crimes Division at (213) 763-5115, on weekends or during off-hours call toll free 1-877-529-3855. He is being held in jail in lieu of bond, and now the detectives need to get enough information for a good prosecution and put this con-artist in jail for a long time.

Here is a police picture of Rudolph Eberhard Bartsch, 58.(courtesy LAPD)
Filed September, 2003