Atlanta car dealer used same scheme as fictional heroine Matilda's father to make his used vehicles more appealing to buyers, prosecutors say

Published: 18:12, 30 April 2026 | Updated: 18:23, 30 April 2026 An Atlanta car dealer was arrested after cops discovered that he was allegedly altering vehicle odometers to upsell used cars - the same scheme made infamous by the hit film and book, Matilda.  Albert Constantin, 32, was arrested on Monday and has been charged with four counts of altering vehicle odometers to sell them for more than their real value, according to the Marietta Police Department.  The crime echoes a comedic scene in the 1996 movie Matilda, which was adapted from Roald Dahl's 1988 novel.  In the fictional story, Matilda's father, Harry Wormwood, played by Danny DeVito in the film, teaches his children how to sell defective cars.  A vehicle's odometer measures its mileage. Tampering with the mileage is a crime and scams buyers into thinking they are purchasing a vehicle with lower mileage and greater value.  Authorities believe that Constantin has been tampering with used vehicles for at least the past two years.  Police say he used fake identification and out-of-state vehicle titles to convince prospective buyers. In one instance, he even allegedly faked a Carfax report.  It's still unclear how many individuals may have purchased a used car from him during that time.  Albert Constantin, 32, was arrested on four counts of altering vehicle odometers to sell them for more than their real value. He is pictured above in a booking photo  Constantin's alleged crimes echo the ones committed by Matilda's father in the film and book. Danny DeVito and Mara Wilson are pictured above in a still from the film adaptation  A woman named Stacie told Fox 5 Atlanta that she purchased her Chrysler Pacifica before checking the Carfax, which revealed the mileage was drastically incorrect. Pictured above is a screengrab she shared with the outlet of the Facebook Marketplace ad  Georgians who have purchased a vehicle from Constantin are encouraged to contact the police department with more information.  Cobb County Jail officials said Constantin was later transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.  It's unclear if Constantin is in the US illegally. The Daily Mail has reached out to ICE for more information.  He has not yet entered a plea for the charges against him. If convicted, Constantin could face fines of up to $250,000 or a prison sentence of up to three years. One woman named Stacie told local Fox affiliate, Fox 5 Atlanta, that she and her husband purchased a Chrysler Pacifica from Constantin on Facebook Marketplace.  She said she believed the odometer read only around 84,000 miles. The sale was conducted at a park, and afterward she checked the Carfax, which revealed the vehicle had a whopping 190,000 miles.  'There was some anger. I mean, we both fussed, and probably cussed, and, you know, raged a little bit,' Stacie told Fox 5.  'I'm glad that he's definitely not going to be able to do this to anybody else, and I really hope that he learns a lesson,' she added when asked about the suspect's arrest.   Another alleged victim, who did not reveal her name, told local ABC affiliate, WSB-TV, that someone would have to be 'evil' to initiate the scheme.  A woman named Stacie said that she was a victim of the alleged fraud after purchasing her Chrysler Pacifica, pictured above  She added that she had not paid attention to the mileage on the title, and she left with the vehicle.  Police have urged the public to pay for a Carfax report or research the vehicle before purchasing it.  Odometer fraud is a growing concern in the US. Carfax data published at the end of 2025 found that around 2.45 million cars on the road were suspected of having had their odometers rolled back, a 14 percent increase from 2024.  The Daily Mail has reached out to the Marietta Police Department for comment and more information on Constantin's arrest.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.