Man Claims Stolen Camaro Was His ‘Project Car’

He’s being charged with felony after towing it to his house.

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Lucas Chas-Roy Stott, a 41-year-old Onamia resident, has been charged in Morrison County District Court with a felony count of motor vehicle theft. The charge arises from an incident that took place on May 1st.

Check out the stolen and stripped cars that litter Detroit here.

On that day, a Morrison County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a report of a Chevy Camaro theft from a residence on 370th Avenue near Hillman. The complainant disclosed that a family member had been storing a 1984 Chevrolet Camaro on her property. The vehicle, devoid of an engine, was being kept as a “project car”.

The theft reportedly occurred between Monday, May 22nd, and Thursday, May 25th. The vehicle’s owner did not authorize anyone to remove the car from the premises.

In pursuit of leads, the deputy approached a nearby property owner in hopes of obtaining potential video footage of the vehicle being towed away. However, the investigation took an unexpected turn.

The neighbor reported that the stolen Camaro was actually parked at the back of his property. He informed the deputy that Stott had brought the vehicle over on a trailer attached to a van. According to the neighbor, Stott claimed he was in the process of buying the vehicle from the owner and was waiting on the title transfer.

Moreover, Stott had asked the neighbor about installing an engine into the Camaro. Believing Stott’s story, the neighbor allowed him to park the car on his property.

After finding the stolen vehicle on the neighbor’s property, it was returned to the rightful owner. Based on the neighbor’s information, a KOPS Alert was issued in Mille Lacs County to locate Stott. He was later found and arrested on charges of theft.

Stott now faces a potential sentence of up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000 if found guilty of the felony charge.