Columbia man accused deceptive business practices sentenced to 10 years in prison

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man who was accused of deceptive business practices was sentenced on Friday to 10 years in prison.

Mark Doninelli, 47, pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree odometer fraud, five counts of forgery, one count of deceptive business practices, intent to defraud by failing to make a sales tax return, stealing a motor vehicle and stealing involving a controlled substance. He is currently listed on the Boone County Jail roster.

According to previous reporting using court documents, a probable cause statement claims Doninelli bought a 2011 Ford Fusion that hit a deer. The car was put on Facebook Marketplace by his girlfriend and listed as “runs and drives like new” with inaccurate information about the damage, according to court documents.

Doninelli never titled the vehicle, according to the probable cause statement, and didn’t pay taxes to the state or county. The statement says Doninelli did not tell the buyer that he or his girlfriend were not the titled owners.

Previously, he allegedly stole a 2002 Mitsubishi through means of deception, according to a probable cause statement. He allegedly offered to "junk" the vehicle -- valued at $1,700 -- and use the money for credit for a new vehicle purchase for himself, the probable cause statement says.

After Doninelli received the title for the Mitsubishi, he allegedly stopped talking to the woman who owned it. Doninelli then allegedly forged the title by removing the sale information from the previous owner and then sold it to another person, advising he was a car dealer.