MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Police say a driver who got a $91,000 insurance payout for a stolen Dodge Challenger Hellcat reported the same car stolen months later with a different VIN.
Larry Johnson, 35, was booked in the Shelby County Jail Tuesday on a charge of theft of property of $60,000 to $250,000.
In January of 2023, Johnson contacted MPD and said his 2019 Challenger was stolen from outside a building in the 400 block of South Front Street downtown.
Two months later, Progressive issued Johnson a $91,077.85 check for the vehicle.
In November of 2023, Progressive was contacted by Memphis Airport police after Johnson reported a 2021 Dodge Challenger Hellcat stolen from the airport’s long-term parking garage.
Memphis detectives said the VIN Johson gave airport police was fake, and the 2021 Dodge Challenger Hellcat did not exist.
Police said the 2019 Challenger reported stolen had been re-vinned to appear as a 2021 Challenger and was recovered at a residence in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
The Fort Smith Police Department took custody of the car, and a man at the residence was charged with theft after receiving $25,000.
Johnson is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
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Clinton Mora is a reporter for Trending Insurance News. He has previously worked for the Forbes. As a contributor to Trending Insurance News, Clinton covers emerging a wide range of property and casualty insurance related stories.