Those who scroll through Craigslist looking for interesting cars for sale on a regular basis will likely know when something stinks. Some offers are just too good to be true. This is one of them. As reported by Jalopnik and WREG-TV, a guy from Memphis, Tennessee, was arrested this past week for selling a stolen BMW i8 on the popular online classifieds website. Marqueze Blackwell listed the i8 for a seemingly bargain price of $87,000.
Unfortunately for Blackwell, the ad caught the attention of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, who suspected wrongdoing. Authorities made contact with Blackwell and arranged to meet in person to check out the car. Blackwell falsely believed he had a potential buyer. It didn’t take long for police to realize the i8’s VIN number was clearly a fake, and Blackwell was taken into custody. Turns out the car’s VIN is also located under the seat and police were able to positively identify the i8, which was reported stolen in Orlando, Florida, in March. Not only has Blackwell been charged with theft, but also with altering a motor vehicle serial number.
The first lesson here is very simple: don’t steal a car in the first place. Don’t be that guy. Second, if you choose to be that asshole, have the common sense not to sell the car on a public e-commerce platform. Anybody could be looking at your posting, including the cops.
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