Cartersville police say Terry Spruell, 64, took money from numerous customers, but didn’t give them the vehicle titles.
CARTERSVILLE, Ga. –Cartersville police are looking for a car dealer they say took money from both investors and customers of his dealership, but didn’t make good on payments or titles for the vehicles.
North Georgia Financing is at the center of an expanding investigation into its owner.
Cartersville police say Terry Spruell, 64, took money from numerous customers of the used car business, but didn’t give them the vehicle titles.
“We started getting calls that people weren’t getting titles to their cars on time, couldn’t get their tag registered. So, it’s been since right after July the 8,” said Capt. Mark Camp of the Cartersville Police Department.
Camp says there are at least 10 victims, but he expects more to come forward as the investigation develops.
Mary Whisnant’s says her daughter is making payments on a car she bought that she can’t even drive.
“Come to find out we don’t have a title for the car. We financed the car, and now it’s been a big mess,” Whisnant said.
Camp says people who gave Spruell cars to sell held onto the titles after he sold the vehicles because he never paid them.
“And so that’s why I say we have victims on both sides of the equation,” Camp said. “It’s the buyers and it’s investors and people that gave him cars on consignment.”
Whisnant is clear on what she wants to see happen to the 64-year-old car dealer who is now nowhere to be found.
“I’d like to see him go to jail because the people that come to these small places are people that are struggling,” Whisnant said. “I’m sure my daughter wasn’t the only one that was struggling trying to come up with a car payment.”
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Police also say some of Spruell’s victims have had their vehicles repossessed because the finance companies never received a title.
Spruell faces at least four warrants for theft by deception.
