June 12, 1992

With only 24 hours left before it ran out of cash, United Press International got a 10-day reprieve today when a New York lawyer who is well connected politically put down $180,000 to evaluate buying the service. The potential buyer is Leon H. Charney, who served as a special adviser to President Jimmy Carter at the Camp David peace talks and is the moderator of a current-affairs program, "The Leon Charney Report," on WNYC, a public television station operated by New York City on Channel 31.

The California Department of Consumer Affairs today charged Sears, Roebuck & Company's automotive repair shops with systematically defrauding customers by performing unnecessary service and repairs, saying it would seek to revoke the company's license to do such business in the state. The department's Bureau of Automotive Repair said it was charging all 72 Sears auto repair shops in the state with fraud, false advertising and failure to clearly state parts and labor on invoices. Other charges include false or misleading statements and willful departure from accepted trade standards.

Moving to restore confidence after being victimized by a fraud prosecutors say was committed by a Buick dealer and was one of the biggest at a financial institution, the General Motors Corporation today removed two top executives of its financing arm. It is also removing current and former managers of the finance unit's branch office in Hauppauge, L.I., which supervised the accounts of the indicted dealer, John M. McNamara. Mr. McNamara, a respected figure on Long Island until his arrest on April 15, pleaded not guilty last week to charges that he had defrauded G.M. of $436 million. A Stunning Departure Prosecutors say that over a period of seven years he forged documents indicating that he had sold 70,000 customized vans to customers in the Middle East. General Motors lent him millions of dollars based on those documents. In its indictment, the Government said the vehicles never existed.

It was an early evening on Berkley Lane, the dead-end street of single-family homes where Amy Fisher lived until her arrest. Hank Arkin watched a white sedan turn down the road, cruise past 2092, turn around and leave. "Usually, we get 10 strange cars a year down this block," said Mr. Arkin, who owns the house across the street. "Try 20 a day."

Yeltsin Pledges Privatization Days before a trip to Washington, Russia's leader pledged to ease barriers to privatization. But he said the West cannot dictate policy. Page A3. Bill Sought by Labor Dies The Senate killed a bill barring employers from hiring permanent replacements for strikers. Page A13. Indictments on Payoffs A man approved by a United States Attorney to buy mob-controlled companies was indicted on charges of making illegal payoffs. Page B1. Trenton G.O.P. Aims Knife The Republican legislative majority in New Jersey has identified $1 billion in proposed budget cuts. Page B1. G.M. Executives Removed General Motors removed two top executives of its financing arm, along with current and former managers of its Long Island office. Page D1. 'Animal Model' for AIDS Scientists say a monkey species gets sick when infected with the virus that causes AIDS, so it could be useful in vaccine tests. Page D17.