May.22, 2010, 9:06 p.m.

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — A Vero Beach man and woman were charged with money laundering Friday following the investigation of a car valued at $136,706 reported missing last November from a dealership in the 4500 block of South U.S. 1.

Jerry Clark, 47, and Lynette S. Clark, 45, both of the 500 block of Camelia Lane, were charged with laundering more than $20,000 but less than $100,000.

Jerry Clark additionally was charged with first degree grand theft, as was Anthony Dominic Albanese, 63, of Sherdon Lane, Port St. Lucie.

The 2008 Mercedes Benz, sold June 2008 to a Russian broker, was being maintained at the dealership awaiting export. Detectives allege Jerry Clark illegally had the car towed from the lot last June while he was the dealership’s general sales manager.

He told the tow company owner he was unable to locate the car’s buyer and could not do anything with the vehicle because it was sold and off the books, according to the arrest report.

The tow company’s owner got title to the car after impounding it the legally prescribed time. Detectives report Jerry Clark then arranged the car’s sale to a Lake Park dealer.

According to arrest reports, that dealer paid the tow company $50,000 and another $31,500 to Jerry Clark’s company, J. C. Auto Group.

Detectives report the tow company also paid commissions of $12,000 to Clark’s company and $17,800 to Albanese, a roadside technician at the Fort Pierce dealership.

Arrest reports state that early last September, Lynette Clark wrote a two checks totalling $40,000 on the J. C. Auto Group account out to cash and deposited them in her and Jerry Clark’s personal account. Money was then moved from that account into a new account set up for Pristine Diesel, a corporation registered to Lynette Clark.

“In all, $38,000 from the original $43,500 that Jerry Clark received from the theft and sale of the vehicle was deposited into Pristine Diesel’s account to start up the business,” arrest reports for the Clarks state

Jerry Clark was in St. Lucie County Jail Saturday on $50,000 bond; Lynette Clark on $25,000 bond. Information on Albanese was not available Saturday.