Several Massachusetts residents believed they were getting exclusive access to repossessed luxury cars at deeply discounted prices. After all, the seller told them he was a law enforcement officer with inside connections. Prosecutors say that story was completely bogus.

Recardo Beale, 34, of Quincy, pleaded guilty Thursday, May 15, in federal court to running a scheme that defrauded buyers. He did so by falsely claiming to be a Boston Police detective, a Massachusetts State Police trooper, and a county sheriff. Beale never held those positions.

Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said Beale did work briefly as a Suffolk County Jail officer in 2021. He used that former role to add credibility. On several occasions, he met with buyers at the Suffolk County House of Correction in Boston, claiming he could sell them repossessed cars. The models named included a BMW, an Audi, and a Mercedes-Benz.

In November 2023, surveillance footage showed Beale meeting a potential buyer inside the jail. He did not present a car. Instead, he claimed that a superior officer, who was also supposedly involved in the sale, wasn’t around.

In total, three buyers paid Beale a combined $6,400, MassLive shared. None received any of the luxury cars promised. Beale was charged in March with three counts of wire fraud.

On Thursday, he formally accepted responsibility and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Boston. A judge scheduled sentencing for August 26.

In a plea agreement, prosecutors requested that Beale pay nearly $200,000 in restitution. They also recommended a sentence on the lower end of the guidelines, noting his cooperation and guilty plea. Beale will forfeit the $6,400 he took from the victims looking for luxury cars as part of the agreement.