A Wichita auto dealer who ignored court orders to cease selling cars until he pays $110,000 in fines is now in jail.
The Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office said Friday that Jacobs Lucky, 45, has been punished for continuing to sell vehicles from his 37 Auto Sales LLC car lot in violation of an earlier court ruling barring him from doing so. Their lawyer did not immediately answer a message seeking comment Friday.
Lucky and the dealership, 1739 N. Broadway, were slapped with $110,000 in civil fines and penalties after a judge ruled they "willfully violated" agreements made with the DA's office to settle customer complaints for things including failing to provide vehicle titles, not honoring warranties, not disclosing a safety recall, illegally issuing multiple 60-day temporary registration permits and improperly documenting title and sales tax receipts.
In addition to ordering payment of the fines, the ruling "restrained and prohibited" Lucky and the car lot "from selling cars in the State of Kansas" until the money is paid in full.
This fall, the DA's Office filed a motion alleging Lucky and the lot were in contempt "for continuing to sell cars after being ordered not to do so," a news release from the DA's Office says.
Sedgwick County District Judge Faith Johnson ruled against Lucky and 37 Auto Sales LLC on Nov. 26.
"The Consumer Protection Division presented evidence that despite the Court's orders, the dealership remained open and continued to sell cars. After finding at least six cars had been sold, the Court ordered Jacobs Lucky taken into custody immediately for contempt of court and held in the Sedgwick County Detention Facility for a term of six months," the news release says.
"The Court ordered that payment of the full $110,000.00 would be required to purge the contempt to allow for Mr. Lucky's release," the DA's Office said.
Lucky was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on Nov. 26 and remained in custody Friday, an online log of inmates shows. The log shows he must pay a $110,000 "purge bond" to get out.
A "purge bond" refers to an amount of money a person has to pay to get out of jail after being held in contempt. They're often associated with unpaid child support.
This latest round of trouble for Lucky and his dealership is tied to a 2021 civil lawsuit filed by the DA's office stemming from an investigation into complaints from customers who bought vehicles in 2020. Lucky and 37 Auto Sales entered into a consent judgment to settle those allegations last year but haven't followed the terms, according to court records and The Eagle's news archives.
They entered into a similar agreement in May 2019 over car-selling allegations that included not disclosing a safety recall and using unlicensed salesmen, The Eagle previously reported.
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