Former exec sues Tampa auto giant, alleging use of deceptive sales practices

A former finance executive for one of the largest auto dealerships in the region — and Florida — has filed a lawsuit against the business, alleging the company, Morgan Auto Group, inflated prices and engaged in deceptive sales practices.

The former employee, Jason Mirabito, is suing Morgan Auto Group and Sarasota L Automotive Management Group in Hillsborough County Circuit Court. He is seeking at least $50,000 in damages in the case, where he also accuses the auto dealership of violating Florida’s Private Whistleblower Act. 

The lawsuit was filed July 1 and has since been going through the court system. Records show Morgan Auto Group filed a motion to dismiss the case July 31; a Hillsborough County judge stayed the case pending arbitration Nov. 4; and a date for case management in Hillsborough County Circuit Court has been set for Feb. 11, 2026. 

In its motion to dismiss the case, Morgan Auto Group contends Mirabito signed an agreement with the company in 2022 that “any dispute between them … shall be submitted to binding arbitration.”

Morgan Auto Group CEO Brett Morgan, reached by the Business Observer over text and email, did not immediately provide a comment on the claims. And the attorney representing Morgan Auto Group and Sarasota L Automotive Management Group on the lawsuit in court records — Douglas John Lapointe of Orlando-based firm Cameron, Hodges, Coleman, LaPointe & Wright — did not respond to an email requesting comment on the case.

According to the complaint, filed by Duffie Law out of Boca Raton, Mirabito was hired by Tampa-based Morgan Auto Group in 2022 to support its dealerships across Southwest Florida. Morgan Auto Group has more than 70 retail locations around the state, from Ocala to Miami. The company had $9.44 billion in revenue in 2024, up 15.76% over 2023, when it had $8.15 billion. It is the second-largest privately held company in the region, according to the Business Observer's Top 50 list in the annual Big Book of Business.

Mirabito oversaw finances for locations like Audi Tampa, BMW Sarasota, Honda of Sarasota and others, according to a statement issued by Duffie Law. In addition, he was hired as finance director for Sarasota L Automotive Management, a retail location doing business as Jaguar Land Rover of Sarasota also owned by Morgan Automotive Group, the statement says.

“During the course of his employment, Mirabito learned about the litany of practices … to drive up the cost of vehicles to increase profits for the dealerships,” the statement says. 

One method of maximizing profitability, the lawsuit alleges, was called payment packing. That's a practice in which managers artificially inflated prices to include products customers did not want or know they were purchasing, adding “room for warranties and a higher interest rate, both of which could then be negotiated with the customer,” according to the complaint. 

Mirabito also alleges Morgan Auto Group and its dealerships used “deceptive practices” around vehicle warranty and finance products. In some cases, Mirabito alleges it sold customers products that were unneeded because their vehicles were covered under warranty and in others, he says the warranties were exclusionary and consumers were not notified.

When Mirabito repeatedly complained to the regional finance leader for Morgan Auto Group, the leader would “put his hands over his ears and tell Mirabito he didn’t want to hear it,” according to the complaint.

In August 2024, Mirabito requested a “store audit to address what could be a company-wide issue,” according to the complaint; he had “uncovered serious accounting deficiencies in audit reports regarding chargebacks” at one of Morgan Auto Group’s retail locations, according to the statement from the law firm. He found that the company owed him more than $20,000 due to accounting errors, the complaint says.

Less than 24 hours after requesting the audit, Mirabito was terminated “in direct retaliation” for “objecting to and/or refusing to participate in a policy, practice or activity that was a violation of a law, rule or regulation,” according to the complaint. 

Mirabito is owed more than $24,000 in unpaid commissions, the complaint says.

On Dec. 5, Duffie Law issued a “consumer notice” encouraging buyers who purchased vehicles through Morgan Auto Group to “closely review their documentation” in case they have been charged for products not delivered or made payments other than what was approved, according to a statement. 

“Since the filing, Duffie Law has become aware of multiple current and former MAG employees who have shared similar experiences, and expressed concerns related to themselves and Florida consumers,” the statement says.