Chevy salesman suspected of kidnapping disabled customer, stealing $200K

The FBI is reportedly investigating a salesman at a Tennessee Chevrolet dealership on suspicion of kidnapping and stealing $200,000 from a disabled customer. He has not been charged, but he does not work at the dealership anymore.

According to reports from Automotive News and ABC News Channel 9, a salesman at Mountain View Chevrolet in Chatanooga, Tennessee, held a customer captive and made him withdraw thousands of dollars. The customer recently had a work accident that left him with an amputated leg and paralyzed on one side. A settlement from the accident awarded the man a large sum of money.

The customer says this started April 1, when he took his recently purchased truck in to the dealership for service. The salesman reportedly offered to drive him home, but instead proceeded to take him to several banks, where the customer was forced to withdraw approximately $200,000 in cash and cashier's checks. The reports say the employee threatened the customer with death. Furthermore, the customer was forced to smoke crack.

The dealership provided ABC with this statement:

"Management at Mtn. View Chevrolet is aware of the investigation being conducted by the FBI into one of our former employees. The dealership was not involved in, or even aware of, any alleged attempt on the part of [the suspect] to defraud a customer of our business. [The suspect] is no longer employed by Mtn. View Chevrolet, and we continue to work with the authorities to assist in resolving this matter."