In September 2003, the Romanian state sold, for a price of 180,000 USD, 68,7% of ARO to an American company called "Cross Lander", owned by John Perez. The contract said that the company had to invest 2 million USD in the company, but, allegedly, none of this investment was done and instead, the industrial equipment of ARO was sold off (according to the privatization contract, he was not allowed to do that).[1]