The car was shipped from Quebec, Canada, to a Florida car collector in December 2019 when officers from the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry in Buffalo, New York, noticed something strange, according to court documents. .
During their inspection, they saw that the rivets with the vehicle’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the car were covered with a black tar-like substance that did not conform to factory standards.
The CPB detained the car for investigation and contacted Ferrari and the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
They learned that the car had been stolen from a parking garage at Hotel Dontello in Imola, Italy, in March 2003, and had never been recovered.
According to the documents, Paolo Provenzi, who lives in Italy, was able to prove that he and his father and brother bought the Ferrari about a month before it was stolen for about $ 309,500 (€ 260,000). The loss was not covered by insurance.
It is unclear how the Ferrari got from Italy to Canada, where Mohammed Alsaloussi of Florida bought it for $ 1.435 million in September 2019. Alsaloussi said he had no idea that the car was reported stolen.
Now both men want the car back.
“When this is over, a movie will be made about it,” Piras told The Buffalo News. “Apparently this car has traveled all over the world. He was in Japan for a while. ‘
CNN tried to reach Piras on Friday, but her office said she was not immediately available.
According to court documents, Alsaloussi had registered the car with Ikonick Collections Ltd., a holding company for its collection of rare cars.
“Our customer has the government-issued title and registration for the vehicle, and has paid a fair market value to a reputable seller,” Richard O’Neill, Alsaloussi’s attorney, said in a statement.
“Only recently have we discovered the existence of the other plaintiff. We have many questions about the facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged sale and theft in 2003. If the other plaintiff appears in this case, we intend a very to conduct a thorough investigation of the facts and circumstances surrounding his claim. We have been eagerly awaiting the filing of this promotion and look forward to resolving this issue. “
In the government’s filing, the US attorney’s office said it had “serious doubts” about which plaintiff would get the car.
“After investigation, my office determined that it would not be appropriate for us to exercise our authority and forfeit this extremely valuable and previously stolen luxury car,” said US attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. in a statement.
“Instead, after an 18-year odyssey that we know has passed through continents and countries, we have decided it is time for a court to determine the rightful owner of the vehicle.”
Until the case is settled, the car will be detained by CBP in Buffalo.