Bragg
Law enforcement are searching for a Nashville man who prosecutors say defrauded his customers at a Whiteland hot rod restoration shop and lied about the work he was doing.
John E. Bragg II, formerly of Greenwood, is charged with two counts of fraud as a Level 6 felony, one count of theft as a Level 6 felony and one count of theft as a misdemeanor. He was charged in three different criminal cases on Oct. 5, Oct. 6 and Oct. 10.
Warrants for Bragg’s arrest have been issued in each case, however, he has not yet been found, according to online court records.
Detectives with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office first began investigating Bragg in June, after they received a report of a possible fraudulent rent check from a company named JB Bugs Trick Truck N Rod of Indy, located at 1751 E. County Road 500 North, Whiteland. Deputies spoke to the owner of the building who said they rented a building at the address to a “John ‘J.B.’ Goode,” who had failed to pay rent for the shop for three months, according to court documents.
John Goode is an alias of Bragg’s, detectives say. Employees who worked with Bragg, along with those who accused Bragg of fraud and theft, identified him as Goode, court documents say.
The building owner told detectives that Bragg allegedly restored and worked on vintage cars at the shop. The owner eventually locked the doors of the shop due to the failure to pay rent and unauthorized building alterations, court documents say.
While detectives were with the building owner, they also took reports from multiple people alleging that Bragg had taken their money and not done the work he agreed to do, court documents say.
Left on read
In the first case, a man paid Bragg $7,500 as a down payment to restore a 1971 Volkswagen Camper Van. However, Bragg allegedly delayed the completion of the work repeatedly and ultimately did not do the work at all, according to court documents.
The initial payment for the work was made on May 7, 2021, with the work expected to be completed in fall 2021. However, the completion date was moved back to spring 2022, court documents say.
Sometime later, the man asked Bragg to send progress photos, but he declined, saying that employees wanted the customers to be surprised by the final product. Later, on May 1, the man texted Bragg again and asked when the big reveal would be. Bragg allegedly replied he would have to check, and ultimately did not reply until May 13, telling the man the reveal would be on June 15, court documents say.
Between June 2-22, Bragg and the man allegedly texted several times for schedule changes before settling on June 22. The man and his wife arrived at the shop only to discover that the shop was locked and that there was an eviction notice on the door, according to court documents.
Additionally, when they later found the van in a garage bay on the 100 block of S. State St., the van was in worse shape than it had been to begin with. The man noticed additional damage to the van, and said the items he had allegedly given Bragg for the restoration were missing as well, court documents say.
Unauthorized sale of car
The second case began after detectives received a call from an Alabama man on June 30 who alleged that Bragg had sold his 1950 VW Beetle Split Window to someone else without permission.
The man allegedly met Bragg in Alabama in 2021 and arranged for Bragg to restore his Beetle and return it to him in Florida in November 2022. Bragg and another employee from the shop picked up the Beetle in July 2021 to transport it to Whiteland, according to court documents.
The employee who traveled with Bragg allegedly told detectives Bragg said in April that the Alabama man had asked him to sell the Beetle so he could have money to open a restaurant in Alabama. Bragg then allegedly directed the employee to deliver it to Beckley, West Virginia. The employee could not recall where it was delivered, or who it was delivered to, court documents say.
Gift gone wrong
A third case was filed against Bragg after a man told detectives in July that Bragg had made false and misleading statements in order to get $10,500 from him.
The man had reached out to Bragg because he was looking for an older VW Beetle convertible as a 50th wedding anniversary gift for his wife. In March, Bragg allegedly contacted the man to say he had found a car that matched his criteria, a red 1977 VW Beetle convertible and told him he should buy it for $10,500. The man asked Bragg to wait until he was back in town, and Bragg allegedly convinced him to make a $2,500 deposit to hold the vehicle, court documents say.
When the man returned, he issued a check for an additional $8,000 for the vehicle and dropped it off at the shop. Bragg allegedly later said he was going to try to pick it up the week of March 28. However, there were continuous delays, the affidavit says.
After multiple delays, on June 20, Bragg allegedly sent a text saying that the vehicle would be delivered the next day. The following day, Bragg allegedly texted that he would meet the man at the shop in Whiteland to pick up the car, according to court documents.
He did not meet him, court documents say.
Man has prior fraud conviction
Later, employees at the shop told detectives that they were not aware of any deals made between Bragg and customers. In at least two cases, employees made statements that contradicted Bragg’s alleged texts and statements, according to court documents.
Detectives later conducted a criminal records search on Bragg, with showed he had a prior conviction for fraud in Florida. The search also showed he had numerous arrests for fraud.
While Bragg allegedly indicated to customers he was the owner of the shop, detectives say that his girlfriend, Melanie Goode, is the owner. A search of the shop’s name through the Indiana Secretary of State’s office showed it was an assumed name under Palm Principles, LLC. It also showed the principal agent for the business was Melanie Goode, according to court documents.
Deputies later served subpoenas on business checking accounts with Goode’s name. Records show that the $8,000 check from the third man was deposited into one of the accounts belonging to the business/Goode, according to court documents.
Neither Bragg nor Goode has not responded to detectives’ attempts to talk with them. All numbers found for Bragg have been disconnected, court documents say.
Additionally, detectives say the duo appeared to have fled the area and possibly the state. The residence where they both lived in Greenwood was left abandoned with several months of rent still owed, court documents say.
Anyone with any information on Bragg’s whereabouts should contact the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office at 317-346-6336 or call 911. If outside of Johnson County, people are encouraged to contact local law enforcement, said Sheriff Duane Burgess.
