A paperwork mistake at a Doral car dealership led to the wrongful arrest of U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Shane Sprague, who is now suing Volkswagen for damages.
Bodycam footage from July 1 shows deputies handcuffing a confused Sprague after his $61,000 GMC truck was flagged as stolen. Lawyers say Doral Volkswagen mistakenly reported the vehicle stolen due to an incorrect VIN entry.
Sprague, a 27-year Coast Guard veteran who helps maintain Marine One, spent four hours in jail before investigators confirmed the error. He is seeking more than $50,000 in damages, calling the ordeal “one of the scariest events of my life.”
Doral Volkswagen admitted the mistake, calling it “an isolated occurrence caused by human error,” and filed a motion to move the case to arbitration.
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