MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Westly Mitchell has now been arrested in connection with four separate cases this year, with multiple buyers claiming they paid him for vehicles they never received.
Two of Mitchell’s accusers told FOX13 they lost thousands in cash after purchasing cars from him through Facebook Marketplace.
Back in May, Maria Alcala said she paid Mitchell $9,000 in cash for a Chevy Suburban. The odometer showed more than 140,000 miles, but her bill of sale listed over 222,000 miles. A month after her story aired, police charged Mitchell and another man with falsifying the title and odometer fraud.
More complaints followed. Melissa Hall told FOX13 she paid Mitchell $4,000 in September for an SUV she never saw. “I just want my money,” she said.
Mitchell was arrested Tuesday on new theft charges, including allegations that he failed to provide a woman with her vehicle last December. Another woman made a similar complaint in February.
Tennessee Highway Patrol Major Travis Plotzer did not address Mitchell’s case directly but urged buyers to be extra cautious when shopping for used cars online.
“Thieves and con artists will use any method they can to deceive people,” Plotzer said. “People try to make their dollars stretch, so use a healthy amount of caution.”
Mitchell declined an interview but told FOX13 he attempted to resolve the issue with Hall and denied altering Alcala’s odometer. He claimed he acted only as a middleman in both transactions.
