TYLER, Texas (Jan. 10, 2003) — Two men were arrested this week for allegedly running a tire-buying scam among four Tyler tire dealerships, police said.
Lt. Larry Wiginton of the Smith County Sheriff Department said the men would go to a local tire store, say they worked for another local retailer and needed to buy a few tires. The cost of the tires was charged to the company the men supposedly worked for, Lt. Wiginton explained.
The friendly practice between the neighboring businesses, which Lt. Wiginton declined to identify, had been established for quite some time.
“That was a heck of a scam,” he said.
The method started to surface when some of the companies began calling each other, asking why their neighbors were suddenly needing tires.
“That's how it all got started,” Lt. Wiginton said of the scam's demise.
Police tracked the tires and eventually found more than 10 tires that had been sold or traded to a third party. Local media reports estimated the value of the merchandise at almost $5,000. A trial date has not yet been set for the men.