9 people arrested under RICO statue in Hall County HALL COUNTY, Ga. – Nine people were charged in Hall County following a months-long investigation into a title fraud scheme. According to the sheriff's office, investigators with the Special Investigations Unit learned of an ongoing title fraud being committed by Brandy Marie Pitts, 46, of Lavonia, and Susan Faye Palencia, 61, of Homer, in June 2025. Investigators began looking into the fraud and said the two women owned multiple companies operating in Gainesville and were working with car dealerships in Hall County to commit the crimes. The investigation determined local car dealers would sell older-model, high-mileage vehicles at higher prices to unlicensed drivers, according to officials. Because an unlicensed person cannot legally register a vehicle in Georgia, salespeople would send the customers to Pitts and Palencia, who would charge the customers hundreds of dollars to register the vehicles under their corporation names. Officials also said they would urge the drivers to obtain insurance through America Insurance Agency, a company the women owned. Hundreds of vehicles were registered under various companies, all of whic
