The Washed Car Titles

Associates of the defendant bought used cars in one state, rolled back their odometers and altered the car titles to show the false, lower mileage. The altered titles were mailed to a second state, where accomplices presented them to motor-vehicle officials who did not know of the alterations. Those officials issued brand-new, genuine titles carrying the false mileage, which were sent back and used to sell the cars to unsuspecting buyers. The defendant sent altered titles out and received the new ones back. Prosecutors charged him with transporting 'falsely made' securities across state lines. The defence argued the new titles were genuine documents issued by the state itself, so they could not be 'falsely made', however false their contents.