Georgia Man Purchases Vehicle From Dealer That Was Actually Reported Stolen

When purchasing a vehicle, you expect everything to be squared away once you drive off the lot: You sign an agreement on the purchase, the dealer gets money, and you get a car. The worst case scenarios to follow usually entail breaking down, getting into an accident, or having to bring the car back because you’re not approved. But as Georgia ABC affiliate WSB-TV reports, one man got an even bigger post-purchase surprise, and it certainly wasn’t a good one.

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Demetrius Howard purchased an Audi A6 from Evolution Cars in Conyers, Georgia in late 2022. Seven months later, police showed up at his home to question him about said Audi A6. In body camera footage reviewed by WSB, it shows police questioning Howard about the vehicle.

“The car you’re driving there. Where did you get that car?” the deputy asked Howard on the video.

“I bought it at Evolution Cars,” Howard said.

“You got all your paperwork?” the deputy asked.

“Yes, sir,” Howard said.

“I‘ve been paying my payments since I’ve had the car,” Howard said.

“It’s not got anything to do with you, you’re not in trouble, I promise you,” the deputy told Howard on the body camera video.

Turns out the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Ohio. Howard says initially, he was concerned police were going to assume he had something to do with it. And it seems that the police may have been thinking as much. As Howard’s mother backs him up, the police ask Howard about the vehicle’s paperwork a second time.

“So, you were in possession of the title of this vehicle?” the deputy asked.

“Yes,” Howard’s mother said. “I showed the police officer the title. I showed him the date of purchase.”

According to the article, police informed Howard they would have to take the vehicle. From there the situation with the Audi was revealed to be messier than expected. Authorities say the car was reported stolen in March 2022, two months before Howard purchased it. And for some reason he was able to register it even though it didn’t show up in the Georgia Department of Driver Services system.

Worse yet, Evolution Cars wouldn’t do anything about it. The dealer told Howard it “wasn’t their problem.” When WSB then asked about it, the reply from the dealer manager, Luis Diaz, was rather dry:

“We did a deal. We did due diligence with the state of Georgia, what they require from us to verify the vehicle is not stolen. We have to go through our own processes and procedures within the state guidelines.

Howard reached out to Wells Fargo Auto Finance — the bank he financed the Audi through — the one entity that bothered to help the guy out. They told Howard they would refund him his money and help him repair the ding to his credit. As for Howard, he took Evolution Cars to court, where a judge ruled that they pay him $4,500