The Minnesota State Patrol raided Denny Hecker Automotive Group headquarters in St. Louis Park, along with two car dealerships and three of Denny Hecker’s homes, on Wednesday morning.

Government agents arrived at 9 a.m. at the company headquarters to execute a search warrant, according to Hecker’s criminal lawyer, Marsh Halberg.

Hecker was in a meeting when the agents arrived, Halberg said

The state’s motor vehicle crimes task force has received dozens of consumer complaints alleging motor vehicle fraud and has launched a criminal investigation into the matter, said Andy Skoogman, spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

Skoogman said that consumers have told the state that Hecker Automotive failed to pay off lender liens on trade-in vehicles and failed to turn over sales tax paid by consumers on vehicle sales.

Both allegations are felony crimes for which Hecker Automotive will be prosecuted in Minnesota District Court if a criminal complaint is filed.

Hecker could face up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for failing to pay state sales tax; he could also face up to three years in prison and a $6,000 fine for not paying off lender liens on trade-in vehicles.

“This is not a Petters situation,” Halberg said, referring to the FBI’s September raid on Petters Group Worldwide’s Minnetonka headquarters in relation to an alleged Ponzi scheme. “The investigation involves an issue of state taxes owed and license registration fees.”

Halberg said that the tax issue could have resulted from an issue with GMAC— the former financing arm of General Motors. Hecker owes hundreds of millions of dollars to Detroit automakers, and the companies have taken control of some Hecker Automotive assets.

The State Patrol searched two of Hecker’s homes in Medina and one home in Crosslake. Hecker’s Stillwater GMC Cadillac in Oak Park Heights and Southview Chevrolet in Inver Grove Heights were also searched.

Federal agencies assisted with the search and the execution of search warrants, according to Skoogman. The Internal Revenue Service and federal Drug Enforcement Administration have confirmed their presence during the searches.

Hecker filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation as individual two weeks ago and owes up to $1 billion to as many as 900 creditors.