Charges: Utah tire store employee sold customer’s Hummer for $1,000

PRICE, Utah — A tire store employee in central Utah is accused of selling a customer’s Hummer for $1,000.

The Washington man that owned the car was on his way back home to Washington from Texas in January when his 2008 Hummer H3 encountered mechanical problems near Price. He stopped at a local tire store for repairs.

According to a search warrant affidavit, the repairs were completed by late January but, “due to bad weather and a difficult work schedule, (the owner) was unable to return to Big O to retrieve the Hummer,” and the vehicle stayed on the property for four months.

When the owner was able to return to pick up his vehicle in early April it wasn’t in the lot. After police reviewed security footage the Deseret News says they were able to track the hummer back to 33-year-old Travis Jordan.

Charging documents say that Jordan told detectives that he had gone to the store to buy some new tires when 28-year-old Travis Loveland, an employee of the tire store, asked him if he’d want to buy the Hummer claiming the owner had been deported.

The charging documents then say that Jordan met with Loveland and another man after the business had closed and paid $1,000 for the vehicle.

Police later wrote in the affidavit that “Travis Jordan was advised although his story may be somewhat accurate, any reasonable person would know that the circumstances regarding the sale and pick up of this Hummer were suspicious,” and that Jordan was very nervous throughout his conversation with the police, at one point vomiting in the patrol car.

Loveland is currently charged in Carbon County’s 7th District Court with theft, a second-degree felony.

Jordan is also charged with theft, a second-degree felony.

Both men are scheduled to appear in court on Friday.