Couple left 'stunned' after legally registered car seized by cops
It seems the guys they bought it from had allegedly stolen it from a dealer who actually owned it.
Mona and Wayne Evoy will never forget the day this summer when the OPP came up their rural driveway with a flatbed truck and “stole” their beloved 1934 Ford Coupe replica. The Evoys admit, of course, the OPP didn’t actually steal it, even though it sure felt that way.
“It was a shocker. We were stunned,” said Mona. “We showed them the ownership, insurance and registration, but they said it was not our truck. They said they were confiscating it.”
It turns out, said the OPP, the car the Evoys thought was being stolen from their garage was allegedly stolen years before that. Police had two people in custody for allegedly stealing it and a whole bunch of other classic cars in Ontario.
“They even gave us a letter saying if we tried to hide the car, we would be charged with stealing our own car,” said Wayne. “It was devastating. I still can’t believe this happened.”
But it did. Within minutes, their pride, joy and one luxury in life was gone and there is now an empty space in their garage where it once proudly sat.
It is believed to have been returned to its lawful owner, Larry Grogan of the London, Ont.-area company Grogan Classics, who had reported it and other vehicles stolen. Grogan is out “millions,” said his lawyer Paul Downs, who has practised law in Ontario for more than 50 years and has seen a few things.
But this case stands alone. On behalf of the Grogan family, Downs said he will prepare a statement this week to address the concerns of the many victims, some of whom forked over up to $100,000, and those of his client, who is the alleged original victim. Not only were cars allegedly sold by people who did not own them and then purchased by people who could not legally own them, there were alleged efforts to ensure the paperwork put through the Ministry of Transportation and Service Ontario appeared authentic.
“We had no idea,” said Wayne. “We bought it, signed over the ownership, paid $30,000, registered and licensed it with the Ministry of Transportation. There was no problem. Everything went through as it usually does.”
For three years, they enjoyed their sweet ride with no issue.
Then the OPP came knocking.
It seems there was a big investigation and police said that many cars Grogan had owned were allegedly sold out from under him.
“A search warrant executed in Stirling has resulted in the seizure of several vehicles, including classic cars, and the arrest of two individuals,” the OPP said in May. “The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Lambton County crime unit received a complaint in late 2023 regarding stolen vehicles with a combined value of approximately $3 million.”
As a result, several OPP units, including the OPP-led Provincial Auto Theft and Towing team and the OPP-led Provincial Asset Forfeiture Unit, “seized 16 vehicles from the accused as proceeds of crime.”
The OPP said Robert Bradshaw, 54, and Gary Leblance, 55, both of Stirling, Ont., have been charged with theft of motor vehicles over $5,000, fraud over $5,000, use of forged documents and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
On bail, both are considered innocent until proven guilty. The charges have not been tested in court.
“Collaboration across our organization and with our partner agencies is imperative to combat the prevalence of auto theft and related fraud within Ontario. The OPP-led Provincial Auto Theft and Towing Team and the Provincial Asset Forfeiture Team are well-equipped to assist frontline members and other agencies with auto theft investigations and investigations related to financial crimes,” said OPP Det.-Supt. Paula Milne of the organized crime enforcement bureau. “This investigation is another testament to the surge we have seen in auto theft and financial crimes over the last few years and the need for subject matter expert involvement in these investigations.”
OPP Insp. Chris Avery added that “as Lambton County detachment commander, I’m pleased that our crime unit members’ exemplary efforts played an important role in bringing this multi-unit investigation to a conclusion. Crime does not respect borders. That’s why it’s essential that members of law enforcement work together to bring criminals to justice.”
OK, so the OPP have made arrests and laid charges in this alleged crime. Pats on the back all around. But none of that helps the Evoys or any other innocent victims. The OPP news releases make no mention of focusing on the dozens of unsuspecting victims. No matter the outcome of upcoming court actions, while the actual owner of these cars may get some back, dozens of others who thought they made legal purchases are left holding an empty bag with no car to drive.
This needs to be addressed by by the OPP and the Doug Ford provincial government. This is not just a run-of-the-mill auto-theft racket if the allegations are true, but something that could shake the public’s confidence in our institutions.
If people can get an ownership card from the province that says it’s their car and then have police come along three years later and say they don’t actually own it and insist they hand it over, then there is no system people can trust. The victims in this case are considering hiring a lawyer, but before they do that my suggestion to the premier is to put a point person on this case with a view to making sure every person who paid provincial taxes on these cars and legally registered them is made whole without incurring thousands in legal fees.
People like the Evoys, who bought their car by the rules and could never have known someone had allegedly rigged the system to scam them. It’s not fair to say they are on their own and buyer beware when the government told them their cars were legal — only to find out later they had allegedly been duped.
“We paid our tax on it, insurance and all our fees,” said Wayne. “It’s no difference than anybody buying a used car. We did everything right. This could happen to anybody.”
They know. It happened to them.