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More Victims Speak Out about Montecito Motors Investigation

Written by KEYT Anchor

Story Created: Dec 28, 2011 at 7:12 PM PDT

Story Updated: Dec 29, 2011 at 8:51 AM PDT

Santa Barbara - More alleged victims are speaking out tonight after two Santa Barbara businessmen were arrested for allegedly scamming dozens of people out of more than one million dollars.

After a year and a half long investigation, the former owners of Montecito Motors of Santa Barbara have been arrested for fraud and state tax evasion charges. 41-year old Adam Taylor and his father 71-year old 'Chet' Taylor now face 59 felony criminal charges including grand theft, embezzlement and financial elder abuse. They are also accused of filing false personal income tax returns between 2004 and 2010. According to police, they stole more than $1 million from 26 separate victims. They are accused of concealing car sales and defrauding customers who consigned their cars for sale with Montecito Motors.

One of the alleged victims is Santa Barbara resident Les Imlay. He is a retired, Vietnam Veteran who was looking to sell a 1954 Jaguar XK 120 "Drophead Coupe". The asking price was set at $79,500. After a few months, Montecito Motors allegedly sold it to a buyer overseas but it was caught up in customs limbo between France and Belgium. Imlay says he never got all of the money. To this day, Montecito Motors has only paid him about $40,000.

"Knowing that they're going to be prosecuted is a little bit of redemption cause at the time I sold [the car] I really needed some money and it just wasn't there," said Imlay.

Adam and Chet Taylor are scheduled to be arraigned Thursday morning.

KEY News Reporter Scott Hurst has the story.
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