You Won't Believe the Investigation Timeline! 

Sounds like the Detective didn’t even leave his office.He probably figured no one cares about an old truck.Tow companies are very shady I wouldn’t be surprised if the buyer of truck and tow company are friends.

The mere fact that the "buyer" didn't drop off your packages that were still in the truck says he's a shady guy at minimum. So the buyer is shady, the detective is shady and the tow company is shady.

I would do a FOIA request for the detectives phone records focusing specifically on any phone number associated to you or your shop.

Yeah, the fact that the police dept that got your initial filing of a stolen vehicle didn’t actually follow through on contacting you is absolutely BS

I would be putting that detective in the spotlight. That's ridiculous. Facebook, townhall meetings. That's just incompetence 100%

Would love to see the phone records of that detective to see if he actually called or not (which i very much doubt), also if they can't get in touch with you via a phonecall, i would've at least expected them to contact you through a letter, or that a police officer would just stop by the shop for a moment, it just sounds so shady, honestly it wouldn't surprise me if that detective or police department itself have connections with the guys who pickd up the truck.

Dude you really need to get your phone records so you can see if they actually called you or not. The police department needs to be held accountable for their mistakes.

I guarantee that cop didn’t even drive over there. He just called the towing place on the phone

This is the biggest issue with the police departments and their complete disregard for doing their friggin jobs that we as tax paying citizens are paying them for. Damn this makes me soo F N ANGRY 😠 😡

The guy who bought it from the auction should have at least offered to sell it back to you for his costs. I think most people would have.

The whole thing sounds like a scam from the police to the tow yard and buyer.and finger print??? He can see them without doing dusting?? And it would take a week for them to process all the prints on a shop truck. Do not let this go away!! Good luck!!

I didn't know that you could SEE fingerprints WITHOUT dusting for them. I think Detective(if you really want to call him one) Randolph should put his crack pipe down and try doing his job. That man is useless. Every time you report on this I just get more pissed off. I don't know how you keep it together Tom. You're a good person that did not deserve to get screwed by some useless, lazy cop. I really hope you come out on top when this is over. Thank you.

31:55 for me this is a key point. Why are they in that job if not to see a investigation end happily with no bodily injury? Stress of Leo's has to suck so bad but here was a chance for a really wholesome outcome and it just escaped them. Sad day

You should have received a certified letter from the lein company. The purpose for a lein and title search is to track down the last registered owner. Something doesn't seem right between Buyers and the lein company. I would check the relationship Buyer Towing and the purchaser. Sounds like it could be a quick flip.

Still seems like a money making venture by the local police department. Sure auctioning off vehicles is a lucrative deal for them.

Time for that "Investigator" to hang up his hat lol What a joke

The stolen truck investigation reminds me of the HAAS updates... so...... Thanks guys!

You’re phone records should be readily available to you. Have the phone company provide a readout for the day in question. Then you can confirm or deny whether you were truly notified.

8:30 - Please lookup this building number (5150), in Police code. This could not be more appropriate.

I don't get why the current owner wouldn't offer it back to you especially if he is selling it? What a snafu, someone dropped the ball and won't take responsibility!? Times we live in. Keep it coming!

At best, it’s incompetence on the part of the detective.

Need to hand it over to the winner in person so the Michigan police don’t steal it

Damn, the new 'owner' might be legally allowed to do whatever he wants with the truck, but after coming to your shop and knowing the situation he's just gonna try flipping it for a quick profit??? I'd feel bad and at least offer to let you recoup whatever the auction price was to get the truck back, seems like the decent thing to do.

so someone fixed the ignition and keyed it to the doors? I call someone is scamming you and I think the new owner the cop and the towing company are all in it together. why did they switch the status from stolen to abandon so quickly

New owners are very suspicious seeing that all your stuff was still in there. Also did new owner offer any kind of buy it back deal or something??

Hey Tom I definitely would have just gave you your truck back, to me that truck is still a stolen truck until they pay you for it or return it to you period .. good luck hope someone actually makes it right with you 👍

You need to ask them what there standard operating procedure for notifying people of holding recovered stolen goods. They should have a standard documented procedure stating the contacting of victims and at what point does their property become abandoned.

Sounds like a stolen auto ring is ran from the cop shop.. It's happened before. Hope you get to the bottom of this B. S.. God bless you and your loved ones Godspeed

In VA it’s an act of congress to buy or sell a abandoned vehicle. Vehicle has to be posted on a state website for 30 to 90 days for owners to recover with proof of ownership before it goes to auction. Can’t believe it went through the process that fast

Steve Lehto had talked in his videos on how corrupt Michigan tow companies are, I hate this happened to you plus that truck is a piece of history. Thanks for what you do for the racing community I really appreciate it!

File a FOIA request with the PD for the detectives phone records on the date he states he called and left you a message.

Bob is one hell of a craftsman. I’ll tell you what.

I was hearing the theme music from Benny Hill in my mind when Tom was done reading that Police report.

Sounds like that $3.50 is a real sticking point. Can we start a Gofund Me or take up a collection for Tom to help cover the costs?

This kinda investigation happens all the time in St Pete Florida. Unless an officer positively identifies a suspect inside a stolen vehicle, charges are not pursued.

It amazes me that either the towing company guy or someone at the PD didn't recognize your name and shop name/truck. It's not like you are anonymous in the area. This really stinks of corruption unfortunately.

I really hope that you have yourself a lawyer to look into your missing truck because something seems very fishy. Keep up the great content.

The police department F up they were lazy and didn’t do their job. A VM isn’t making contact with someone. That person should be fired .

I'll say it again call Steve Lehto Someone needs Sued bad over this one they screwed up big in my book And I understand you probably don't need the money you'll get for it but it's the principle and I think if you don't stop them they will do it to somebody else that doesn't have the money to fix it

Thats Fricken Crazy !! You Need to get "YOUR TRUCK BACK " at the cost of the Sheriffs Office I Believe ! Oh I agree with everyone Else

Gotta say, it’s getting harder and harder to respect these departments and I despise tow companies. My truck was randomly towed without notice or anything either. Freaking $800 in impound fees because it had been in there a week and I thought it was stolen. Twice this happened to me. Once was by the police because it was parked in front of my own house. I guess you can’t do that if you don’t drive it every day or something? The other time a neighbor called it in to the tow company themselves. Each time was no notice and cost me a bunch of money I didn’t have. Literally I had to overdraw my account. I feel your pain and I hope someone sues these pricks.

I hope you get your truck back one way or another

Guys he has 124k subs and only 90likes on the video..... SMASH THAT LIKE BUTTON FOR TOM!!!!

Get the phone records for your received calls on the day the detective said he called. It would be interesting if there was an actual call made whether a message was left or not.

The police department’s phone records are public record too. You can ask for them to see proof that you were actually called on the date and time that is in the report.

That '57 has gotta be the coolest looking "street car" i've ever seen!

They probably dialed the wrong number and was no name on the vm. Left a message and didn't give a shet. Sue the station...

Local PD definitely dropped the ball on the half-ass investigation and it was awfully sketch of the "New Owner" to list the truck so quickly. Someone out there knows what happened and they probably even watch your channel.

10:58 NOT making fun of you *EJ* (we are all born knowing nothing = have to learn everything one way or another) but I did chuckle since I've seen this happen before. My best friend's step son did that on his wife's car (when he did a tire rotation). As soon as she drove the car she came right back saying "something doesn't feel right". Both my friend and I couldn't believe a grown ass man could do such a thing but we did give him 1/2 credit for doing it to all 20 lug nuts 👍

Fun fact for everyone!!!!! The Reno 911 show was based on Waterford police department and officer Dangle was the detective on your case. 😂 😂😂 All jokes aside, I really hope you keep pushing out content like this so they will be more inclined to actually help you and do the right thing. You are a good person for sure. Hell, you even sacrificed your awesome trailer to help the police stop a high speed chase! Just keep at it and we all hope you get what you deserve/want!!!

This whole story pisses me off. I'm amazed at how calm and even tempered you are, Tom. Good luck in the future. I hope you get it back.

Thanks for the updates. What a complete disservice to you as a taxpayer. “Detective Randummy’s” statement speaks volumes….

"SOP" subpoena their procedure manual, nothing in the law permits vocal documentation, it is always about the paperwork as you know. Just a thought.

Seriously the address of the Waterford Police is 5150? Look up the criminal code for that one!

So if they called you when it was found you could have picked it up yourself and there wouldn't be any charges to you. Lawyer and court should follow

I really hope you get more answers on your truck! In my opinion Waterford PD and the state need to own up to their mistakes, mostly Waterford, and get it back to you!!!

Maybe law's are different up there, but in Georgia to auction it off after that lien they would have to contact the owner by certified letter with delivery confirmation or a few other ways that involve proof of the owner receiving notice. Eventually it can be done by a court order if the owner is not able to be contacted but even that would take a lot longer

What I can't believe is how they didn't generate even one letter to you! What is bureaucracy worth if you can't throw paper around!

I’m pretty sure no one on earth can walk up to a vehicle and “SEE” finger prints.

Detective by name, donut eater by nature. Maybe you should have set the hotdog van up as a donut truck, he would have come back around for sure.

It seems that desired vehicles are kept for parts and "hidden" in the systems available to companies that need them......the possessions in the truck (merch,tools,parts, etc)were possibly worth more than the truck and kept by the people who towed, stole or otherwise acquired it..... I have four towing companies that are in various stages of "crooked"( you make the the distinction) I lost a very nice 1997 suburban ( sought after) in the process of restoration.....The mechanic got put out of his garage for unpaid rent and my vehicle was sold off the lot without notifying me that it was......I found it in Utah sold to another towing company/ garage . I am fighting it now to be compensated for it. I FEEL YOUR PAIN.....

lesson on stolen cars- call every towing company in a 20 mile radius *once a week* with license #, VIN # & description. also consider GPS trackers on cars/trucks/trailers.

Well Tom ad insult to injury cost3.50 cents to tell you that you got the shaft. If the detective was doin his job when he released the truck at towing service he should have went by ya'lls shop said go get your truck. Good luck on gettin to the bottom of this and gettin your truck back. Thanks for sharing

Good to see my Tahoe inside the shop waiting for me to pick up.

Crazy times in which we live in!

I live in washtenaw county. Sounds like a racket to me, or lazy bureaucracy... I own an 86 f350 6.9idi. Those engines can run on cheap recycled trans, or oil mixed with 10% gasoline. Those trucks are worth a bit to certain ppl. Hopefully you get your truck back!!!

I can almost guarantee this isn’t an isolated case. There are and will be others that stuff like this happened. There is some corruption going on within the PD, tow companies, and auctions

In many jurisdictions, auto thefts are so common as to inspire little police excitement, which is what Tom got. Usually, the thief is a juvenile the court will release with little or no penalty. These kids usually just joy-ride until they've trashed the vehicle. So the novel feature of Tom's case is that the truck was not damaged. If cops recover the vehicle, securing it in a compound or police impound lot is as far as they want to go. It's then up to the owner to pay a modest ransom to get the vehicle back. Apparently, the cops screwed up Tom's case, and a tough lawyer may be called for to straighten things out.

This whole situation with the stolen truck is super fishy. From the tow yard, the police department, detective, to the buyer, all super sketchy and if I was you, I would get your phone records for the day he "contacted" u. Please do not let this get forgotten about or swept under the rug. You may not be the only person dealing with this in your area. Get justice, and YOUR truck back.

Tom, this sucks and really makes me doubt our law enforcement agencies. I know there are some good offices and detectives, but It sounds like they didn’t care. They seen an old truck and figured you didn’t need it. Seems pretty shady that the new owner didn’t offer it back. I hope you get it back. I also hope you figure out who didn’t do there job and gets in trouble.

thats some great detective work... i bet he knows where donuts are.

"didn't see any evidence and notified the owner" aka rode around in the police cruiser for 15 minutes and got a coffee

This is at best incompetence and at worst criminal. The timeline and details make it appear that it is a coordinated effort between multiple parties to steal vehicles "legally".

The whole situation sounds like dirty cops to me, time to pay a lawyer and a good private investigator.

Great update , and the truck saga continues. Something is rigged for sure.

Michigan state law entitles you to 3 times your loss, plus any towing, plus your attorney fees. THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THIS IS TO MAKE THE ENTITYS INVOLVED SUFFER A FINANCIAL LOSS. Most jurisdictions only make you "whole", which wouldnt cover the purchase price. Make a $8000 truck cost the police dept $100,000 and their procedures will change. Do nothing and your just leaving it for the next guy...

Marketplace has been flooded with pics of vehicles for absurdly low prices ..when you click the sellers profile it shows the same pic all over the usa for sale...

The public records clerk is the Loch Ness Monster... "$3.50!"

It makes you wonder if the guy that actually bended up buying the truck was somehow involved in the theft especially if it's true that he turned around and put it up for sale knowing he would make a good profit

I think a lawyer would love to get this on his hands right I've seen people Sue police departments and I think this would be a good lawsuit

The fact that the "new" owner would not appear on camera and the BS police work leads me to believe there is a connection between parties involved. Then for it to go up for sale on marketplace immediately after the video....FISHY!!

Thanks for sharing you all Lots of cool stuff going on . Sending good vibes

Did you note the number of the police station, (5150) that’s police code for psychopath on loose😂

I'm going to guess that Waterford will promise to investigate. They will find no dept policy was violated so no wrong doing on their part.

I can believe no problem! I was railroaded into jail and it took near twenty years to get me and my lady loves life back! What a total nightmare!

Tom, call Steve Lehto a fellow RU-vidr and Michigan lawyer. His channel is Lehto’s Law.

Sadly, this is the wasteful use of tax dollars these days. These departments do nothing to earn the tax dollars they are paid with. And if they are found in any wrong doing, its just swept under the rug.

Hopefully, behind the scenes, Mr Bailey has a Law Firm engaged to pursue this further. In addition, he needs to get the State of Michigan 's step by step procedure for Grand Theft, including official notification requirements. Phone calls , emails do not seem reasonable avenues for "Official" abandonment of property, AKA quit claim?

Or it’s a vehicle theft and auction ring and everyone is involved. And I would literally not be surprised if that is true.

Hey Tom my name is Bill I had the same thing happen to me. In Louisville Kentucky. It was stolen out of a hotel where my wife was a GM and we travel all over. And the sad thing is I live in Kentucky. I just don't understand how they can sell stolen property. For us if we sold something that was stolen we would be going to jail. I have so much to talk about and my thoughts about car thieves and thieves in general. I would love to sit down or talk to you on the phone for hours about this stuff.

I sold a car, the "buyer" never titled it and drove it for a year before abandoning it in a local county. *I* received a letter notifying me of the abandoned property from the police dept - they tried harder for a pretty obviously abandoned vehicle than your folks did. That's pretty damned sad... BTW, one of the last times my car was broken into I had to show the cop how to take fingerprints off the car. I never heard a peep afterwards, complete waste of time. For crap like this cops do the bare minimum. The last guy coming around my area pulling door handles to break into cars was grabbed and tackled by neighbors, we did their job for them!

Stay on this, I had built a VIP Lexus LS it was stolen and when it was found it was missing my BBS' and the stereo the police said they tried to call me and I didn't answer so they towed it and 5 days later I got a call from the tow yard asking if I wanted to buy it back because it was going to get auctioned.... The only number the police had was my cell phone and I had no missed calls or voice mails and I didn't have the money to get it back so I had to chalk it up and I had a lot of money into this car, great daily build

Would someone please give Tom $3.50!!! 🤣🤣

You should foia request the detectives phone records. That will solve that real quick.

Around here, as soon as a vehicle hits an impound lot, the towing company is required by law to start sending letters via certified US mail to the registered owner AND any lien holders listed on the registration. These letters start on day three (if I'm not mistaken) and another letter goes out again around week two or three..... If nobody responds or claims the vehicle after 45 days, the towing company can dispose of the vehicle..... sell it, crush it, scrap it, etc. If this would've happened here, you would have received a certified letter from the towing company via US mail requiring a signature. Another case of Police incompetence. ONE voice mail? One! Don't get me wrong, I usually support the police but it's always amazing to see some of the stupid things they do.

Local Police don't seem to give a RIP about stolen property even trucks, trailers and expensive race cars. They just say, "Ok we will file a report and claim it on your insurance." And that would be the end of the story. No investigation, no help. A few years ago, Someone stole my son's Honda 70 pit bike out of our barn. I took less than an hour to investigate the theft. I drove 2 miles down the road to the nearest town, and drove around town looking. I saw a man sitting on a park bench and walked up and talked with him. He was the town drunk like Otis on The Andy Griffith Show. I asked him if he had seen any kids riding around town on a little red white and black minibike. He said "Yes, he had seen a big dumb 16 year old riding a little bike all over town." I asked him to show me where the kid lives. He jumped in the car and showed me the house. I got on my mobile phone and called the Sheriff office. I gave them the name and address of the little thief. That night my phone rang at 0100. It was the Sheriff calling for me to identify the bike. I drove down and sure enough, there it was. The little punk had damaged it all over "rode it like he stole it" because he stole it. It cost me over $100 to fix all the damage. Oh, and the best part; the little punk had been a one man crime spree all over that town, and I broke the case. This kid had stolen big screen TV, Stereo equipment, groceries, alcohol, and furniture> He used all this to set up a crash pad in a vacant rental property. The Sheriff had to check theft report records to find the owners of all the stolen goods, and the kid got a few years in Juvenile because he already had a rap sheet. Insurance wouldn't have paid a dime. My $1000 deductible was more than the value of the pit bike.

If the truck really did go up for sale, the buyer is trying to separate himself from the truck and the heat its bringing. The right thing to do is offer your truck back, at the very least for what he paid for it.

You think maybe that Loch Ness Munster works at that police department? "I'm gonna need about tree-fiddy "???

There is a metal rod on top of the column that goes down to the ignition switch. Thats why the dash was broken. Break the lock cylinder push that rod forward and off you go.

Yeah this is one of those cases where everyone is in on it the thief the cops the tow yard and it probably happens the same way everyday