Show u. u u s s. s 3 31 ii In n Used Car CarBack ar arB B Back ack Market Markel DETROIT April 39 ID CD A P A federal fed fed- eral cral grand rand jury Friday returned Indictments charging 31 residents of four midwestern states with conspiracy to violate 0 OPA P A regulations regulations regu regu- lations In a series of transactions in used automobiles U U. S. S Atty John C. C Lehr said the transactions reached into eight states and Involved hundreds of people The 31 defendants live in m Illinois Kentucky Missouri and Michigan The 0 O P A. A on whose allegations the tho Indictments were based announced announced announced an an- that the towns of or Cairo Ill 11 and Murray Ky were the Focal points of what it termed the largest black market auto ring In 0 O P A history All the cars sought bought In Detroit were funneled tunneled through these theae two towns town generally to six southern and southeastern states the 0 OPA P A said Residents living in these two towns and In Paducah and Benton Benton Ben- Ben ton Ky and Detroit the 0 OPA P A said formed used car companies or operated as individuals Only one was a warranty dealer the agency said They came to Detroit ac according according ac- ac cording to tho the 0 OPA P A. A purchased cars from private citizens took them back to Cairo or Murray and sold them there to warranty dealer dealers dealers deal deal- er ers from seven states These states were listed as Texas Arkansas Mississippi Ten Ten- Louisiana Kentucky and Illinois Lehr said the defendants were charged in the Indictments with conspiracy to violate the emergency emergency emergency emer emer- gency 0 OPA P A price act and of makIng making making mak mak- ing ing- false statements to the 0 O P A. A Tho The indictments Lehr said covered covered cov coy ered transactions thAt began beg on Nov 5 n 19 H 14 and were the result of an investigation that began on Sept 15 1945 in 0 OPA P A districts with headquarters In Chicago Dallas Tex Atlanta Ga and Cleveland A. A D. D regional OP OPA A enforcement executive said This used car black market and the amount of money involved are the largest in the history of the office of price administration In a prepared statement the theOPA theo o 0 OPA P A said Investigation was wn started after the 0 OPA P A received complaints from reputable Detroit dealers that cars were being taken oC off the used car markets in large quant quantities ties |