The State Bureau of Investigation has finished its probe into a vintage vehicle title given to a friend of former DMV Commissioner George Tatum for a replica of a 1937 Ford truck built three years ago.
But it may take a while longer before the public learns what the SBI found.
Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby said he received the SBI report about two weeks ago, but he is still reviewing it, Dan Kane reports.
He would not say whether the report indicates any wrongdoing. SBI reports are generally not public under state law.
The investigation began after The News & Observer learned earlier this year that DMV staff had been alerted that Tatum's friend, Robert Kinlaw of Fayetteville, was seeking the vintage title.
More after the jump.
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A DMV inspector refused to approve the title after discovering the truck was a replica, but Kinlaw went to a second inspector who did not question the vehicle's age.
Tatum assigned an assistant DMV director, Joey Gardner, to look into the matter. But Gardner not only confirmed that the truck was a replica, he said he recalled Tatum saying he would try to help Kinlaw after the first inspector declined to approve the vintage title. Tatum said he provided no help to Kinlaw.
Shortly after, Gardner was suspended and his badge and gun were confiscated. He filed a lawsuit, saying he was being retaliated against for blowing the whistle on Tatum.
Tatum resigned a day after the lawsuit was filed. The day after that, Gardner settled his lawsuit with the state. His suspension was lifted, badge and gun were returned, and Gardner's annual salary was boosted by $1,800.
The case has also exposed problems with the DMV's system for titling vintage vehicles. DMV officials now say that roughly 1,000 vehicles have been misclassified as antiques through fraudulent or nonexistent documents. All but about 100 of those vehicles received documentation from an Alabama company that DMV officials say is known for selling titles.
Misclassifying vehicles as antiques can cost the state tax revenues. Kinlaw, for example, paid an additional $1,300 in taxes when his truck was reclassified as a custom built vehicle.
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