For years, persistent thoughts continued to come to Jeff Sack’s mind: will the man who sold his car face the sin of running away with his money?
I answered his question this month.
WFTV’s Action 9 team is back in the drama surrounding Just Toys Classic Cars and its owners Mike and JR Smith. After that, more and more customers came forward and each told the same story.
They brought classic, often expensive cars to Just Toys and signed a contract that promised payment within 60 days. They said the deadline had come and passed – and the money didn’t last. Some cars disappeared completely and were sold to buyers outside the United States.
Authorities shut down Just Toys in 2019, three years after stating that the first known theft had occurred, but Smiths were allowed to continue their lives. Behind the scenes, there was a pile of evidence.
Both father and son were arrested in early April and charged with massive theft. The detective said he stole money from 20 different customers in three years. Some of the evidence came from Smith’s own employees.
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“I’m finally relieved not only for me, but for the rest of the case,” Szak said, a long and frustrating road.
Both men were released after paying a $ 5,000 deposit, but the future may be tough. If convicted, a single major theft can be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison. That’s not all they are facing.
Szak said he was interested in testifying in this case, repeating some of the other alleged victims that Eyewitness News followed up. He didn’t know if he had seen the $ 14,000 he owe. This is a small amount compared to the other cars in this case.
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“People actually sold the car they had forever. I knew this would be a car hoping to help them live the life they wanted to retire,” he explained. “That was the most frustrating thing for me in the whole situation.”
WFTV dropped in at an old place in the business, but no one was there. Neither man had a lawyer listed in his court documents.
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