Coast Guard Officer Sues Dealership After Wrongful Arrest Over “Stolen” Truck

A U.S. Coast Guard officer is suing a Florida car dealership after being wrongfully arrested in July when his new truck was mistakenly reported stolen.

Chief Warrant Officer Shane Sprague, a 27-year veteran who works on Marine One’s maintenance team, was pulled over in Tamarac by deputies who ordered him out of his vehicle at gunpoint. Bodycam footage shows him stunned as he was handcuffed and placed in a squad car.

“I have no idea what’s happening right now,” Sprague said during the arrest. He later spent four hours in jail.

Lawyers say Doral Volkswagen caused the ordeal by entering the wrong VIN number into paperwork, which triggered a LoJack alert labeling the vehicle as stolen. “This was gross negligence,” attorney Ignacio Alvarez said. “A decorated service member was treated like a criminal because of sloppy work.”

Sprague had put $15,000 down on a $61,000 GMC truck weeks earlier. Now, he’s stuck driving a rental car and fighting the stigma of being labeled a thief. “It turned my life upside down,” he said.

His lawsuit seeks more than $50,000 in damages. Doral VW has apologized, calling it a human error, and filed a motion to send the case to arbitration.

For Sprague, the experience remains surreal. “One day you’re serving your country,” he said. “The next, you’re in handcuffs because of someone else’s mistake.”