Motorcycle business owner sued for fraud opens new store

You may remember over a year ago, the doors suddenly closed at the Midwest Cycle Center in Ozark behind Lambert.

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There are still customers who cannot take their vehicle on the road.

“It’s a 2004 Road King,†said David Lane. Lane is a Harley guy.

“I love the sound. The nostalgia. The lifestyle that goes with it. I hit my back a bit in Iraq. So for long rides, I thought a touring bike would have better suspension. .

His bike is on a trailer because he cannot legally ride it. He doesn’t have the title.

“It’s been three and a half years now and I’ve never received any paper or anything like that,†he said.

Ditto for Casey Morris and his Harley.

“No. I never got anything from them, no paper. They were supposed to send me the papers and the title,” Morris said.

In a Facebook post, former owner Nathan Powers told Lee he would help find his title. The exchange took place in November.

“I haven’t heard anything since. My deposit was in cash. Which could have been a mistake, but at the time I thought it was a legitimate business and it didn’t there would be no problem, â€Lane said.

There is now a class action lawsuit for hundreds of customers against BluCurrent. It was the Springfield Credit Union that Powers used to finance their businesses and the motorcycles of some of their clients. Powers as well as its companies, Midwest Cycle Center, Pro Action Auto and Powersports Protection are also defendants in the case. Court documents read, Midwest Cycle sold untitled motorcycles. Powers engaged in deceptive, unfair and fraudulent practices. On Your Side has repeatedly asked Powers for an interview. His lawyer has spoken.

“He doesn’t think he’s to blame,†said Joshua Roberts, an attorney representing Powers and his companies.

Powers blames BluCurrent for what happened.

“Mr. Powers is working on this as best he can. He understands that there are clients who haven’t gotten what they thought they were going to get and he’s very sorry about that. was never his intention. He wants it all It was always his intention. However, some things happened. Accounts were foreclosed. His businesses were forced to close. So he couldn’t keep his promises, ” Roberts said.

That day in court, the judge granted BluCurrent’s request for a temporary restraining order against Powers. The order demands that he stop making false statements and remove a website he created with the bank logo on it.

“If the court makes an order, we will definitely follow it,” Roberts said.

The site no longer exists.

“He also agreed that some of those comments were needlessly inflammatory and deleted them,” Roberts added.

Nathan Powers now works at Legends Cycle on South Campbell. His Facebook profile says he is a seller and owner.

The LLC for Legends Cycle, the Greene County Merchant License Application, and the Department of Motor Vehicles Dealer License list Mary Powers, his wife, as the owner.

“I am not involved in anything that he does now, so I can’t speak to it at the moment,†said Roberts.

“I think it’s a slap in the face to the people here in town. It’s like he’s gotten away with it and is going to keep doing it. I wonder if he thinks the people in town are stupid, â€Lane said.

“He’s going to end up screwing people up like he did before,†Morris said.

Morris and Lane don’t fit into this $ 1.5 million lawsuit because they both had different lenders.

Meanwhile, checks are in the mail for settlement. BluCurrent will reimburse those who have no titles plus compensation for damages. Customers with service contracts and GAP coverage will also be reimbursed. Those who have loans can get a lower interest rate. The credit union released an On Your Side statement citing harm caused by Midwest Cycle.

BluCurrent statement:

Over the past few weeks, several false claims have been made about BluCurrent and its relationship with Midwest Cycle Center. BluCurrent is grateful to the Greene County Circuit Court for issuing an order on 01/17/19 that prohibits this reprehensible conduct and looks forward to resolving this matter through legal process.

Context provided by BluCurrent

In March 2017, Midwest Cycle Center and its interdependent businesses dealing with automobiles, motorcycles, GAP (Guaranteed Asset Protection in Case of Accident or Theft) coverage and service contracts abruptly closed without notifying its customers. Closed businesses have left some customers with no title to their vehicles, loss of GAP coverage, and canceled service contracts for many other customers.

Like financial institutions across the country, BluCurrent has an indirect lending program. Through this program, BluCurrent has provided financing to some of Midwest Cycle Center’s customers. As soon as BluCurrent learned of Midwest’s sudden shutdown, it began working with its members to mitigate the damage caused by Midwest.