CBI brought in for Graffis probe

CBI brought in for Graffis probe

Oct 27, 2001

by Aspen C. Emmett
Journal Staff Writer

More questions than answers are surfacing about the ill-fated Graffis Motors Company since the used-car lot suddenly closed its doors last week at its location on Cortez’s East Main Street.

Owner Paul Graffis told the Journal Wednesday that the business had been shut down and its general manager, Jamie Still, had disappeared.

But in a phone call to the Journal Friday, Still said he was not the general manager, but the owner.

Still claimed he was Graffis Motors’ owner until Tuesday of last week, when he relinquished the dealership to Graffis. Still said he bought the business from Graffis in January 1999 for $3 million and was making payments directly to Graffis, who held titles to the vehicles as collateral. Still alleged Graffis took out loans on the vehicles without his knowledge and caused a financial burden that buried the business.

"I owned Graffis Motors," Still told the Journal. "I let it go repo last Tuesday. Paul was the one carrying it (the loan for Still) and it went repossession back to Paul.

"I’m the one that got burned for about $2 million."

Graffis, who was contacted Wednesday at Mega Auto Superstore in Farmington, was not available for comment on Friday. His attorney, Kelly McCabe, was also out of town.

Cortez Police Chief Roy Lane said there is an ongoing investigation into the dealership’s financial problems and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation has been brought in to help on the case.

He said there were no suspects yet in the case.

"At this point in time, we’re just getting started good and there are no suspects yet and I can’t really say who all we’re looking at right now," Lane said. "It’s a very complex investigation and it’s probably going to be an ongoing thing for quite a while. I doubt that it will be wrapped up in the next few weeks."

Lane said ownership of the business has not yet been determined by detectives, adding that the amount of money involved was also unknown.

"There’s claims on both sides of who owns it and if he (Still) was purchasing it. There is speculation that Jamie was in the process of purchasing it, but hadn’t been filed with the court," Lane said.

"It involves a lot of money and a lot of people. I’ve heard numbers of $350,000 up to $3 million, but I have no idea what the total amount is and probably won’t know for a while."

Lane said the CPD has fielded dozens of complaints from Graffis Motors customers who say they have been caught in the crossfire of encumbered titles and trade-ins.

"There have been allegations from 30 or 40 people," he said.