The owner of a Franklin County car business has sued the sheriffs of Franklin and Adams counties, saying he was arrested without probable cause and was the subject of false social media posts that harmed his reputation.
Terry Cissne, of Pasco, owner and operator of Eltopia Auto Plaza, is suing in federal court claiming false arrest, unreasonable search and seizure, interference with business relationships and defamation.
In April 2024 the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office warned on Facebook that customers of Cissne and Eltopia Auto Plaza could be victims of odometer fraud.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office also posted that Cissne had been arrested and was a suspect in a joint investigation with Franklin County related to odometer fraud.
It said that both sheriffs’ offices were “reiterating the importance of vigilance when purchasing pre-owned vehicles.”
News media outlets, including the Tri-City Herald, wrote stories based on information from the sheriffs’ offices.
Cissne said in a lawsuit filed Sept. 10 in federal court that Adams County Sheriff’s Office started investigating Eltopia Auto Plaza in June 2023 and claimed that the investigation, later joined by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, resulted in unconstitutional searches, frozen bank accounts and the seizure of about 15 vehicles, cash, and licensing and title documents.
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