Man arrested for stealing car he bought. How he keeps his cool is beyond me.

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One paperwork mistake by a South Florida dealership set off a chain of events that left a U.S. Coast Guard officer's vehicle rammed by an unmarked police car, the officer himself removed from his truck at gunpoint, and detained in a holding cell for four hours – even as the dealership's own salesperson was sending him thank-you messages at the time.

Shane Sprague is a 27-year active-duty Chief Warrant Officer and the chief maintenance officer at the Opa Locka Coast Guard station, where he oversees the helicopters used during presidential visits – including maintenance on Marine One. On June 21, 2025, he bought a slightly used 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X in Thunderstorm Gray from Doral Volkswagen. He put down $15,000, traded in a 2012 Ford Focus, and financed the remainder of the $61,230 purchase price through the dealer. The dealership took a photo of him with his new truck. A salesperson texted him later to wish him well.

The vehicle's finance manager had made an error during the paperwork, entering an incorrect VIN – a mistake Sprague had no knowledge of. In the dealership's system, the Sierra had never been sold – but it also wasn't on the lot. The dealer reported it stolen and activated its LoJack tracker. Sprague had not consented to the installation of a tracking device – a detail carrying unusual weight given his background. His position overseeing aircraft operated by senior government officials requires a top-secret security clearance, and that clearance bars him from having tracking devices on his personal vehicles.

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