Man Indicted For Elaborate Scheme To “create” And Sell Classic Muscle Car On Ebay

Posted on 6/27/2011

Defendant: Bobby Patton

Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced today that the Franklin County Grand Jury has returned an indictment against Bobby Patton, age 58, for allegedly attempting to sell a classic car that he restored to appear as if it were a vintage ’65 Chevy Z-16, when in fact it was a ’65 Chevy Chevelle SS. Patton was indicted for one count (F-3) Tampering with Records, one count (F-5) Possessing Criminal Tools, one count (F-5) Telecommunications Fraud, and one count (F-5) Attempted Criminal Simulation, for a total of four counts. “In an attempt to change the identity of this vehicle from the SS model to show it to be a high end Z-16 model, the black book value of the vehicle would increase from roughly $28,000 to $155,000”, O’Brien stated. The car was put on Ebay with the asking price of $100,000, however the post was eventually pulled by Ebay after numerous calls were made questioning the authenticity of the vehicle. In the ad, there were several pictures that included a Cowl Tag and the VIN plate, both of which appeared hand-made. The original Title was also altered according to O’Brien. Arraignment for Patton is set for July 13, 2011 at 1:30 pm in courtroom 2B at 345 S. High Street.