YPSILANTI, Mich. – Washtenaw County authorities believe they may have busted a multi-state car sale scam after a dealership was swindled out of $250,000.
According to authorities, Dennis Ray Tuttle is accused of targeting car buyers with a 2005 remake of the Ford GT that won at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1966.
Tuttle claims to have the vintage car, collects money for the sale of the vehicle, then disappears, authorities said.
Rick Fisher, who owns Fisher Honda in Ypsilanti, said he paid Tuttle for the GT more than three years ago, but he never received the call or heard from Tuttle again.
“Scumbag, one of the worst people I’ve ever run into,” Fisher said of Tuttle. “He’s a liar. He has warrants coming out of the waazoo, it’s like pancakes coming out of IHOP.”
Fisher admits he should have been more diligent about the way he went about purchasing the car.
“Sheer stupidity. I’m old enough to know when you do a deal sign the agreement and get the title and put hands on the property,” he said.
But Fisher isn’t the only person who has apparently fallen victim to Tuttle.
“He has a warrant out of Nevada, pending cases out of Indiana and another victim in Florida that he has stole $500 plus (from),” said Det, Annette Coppock, with the Ypsilanti Police Department.
When Coppock started investigating the case, she discovered Tuttle was behind bars in Indiana. He was extradited to Michigan.
A judge set his bond to $200,000 during his arraignment Tuesday. Tuttle is due back in court Dec. 19 for a probable cause hearing.