The search for a man who prosecutors say defrauded his customers at a Whiteland hot rod restoration shop has now moved across state lines to West Virginia.
John E. Bragg II, formerly of Greenwood and Nashville, 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. Warrants have been out for Bragg’s arrest since last October, but he has yet to be brought in.
Bragg has been under investigation by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office since 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, and while they were at the business, they took reports from multiple people alleging that Bragg had taken their money and not done the work he agreed to do on vehicles they had asked him to restore, court documents say.
Since October, law enforcement has been trying to speak with Bragg and his girlfriend Melanie Goode, the shop’s owner. One of defrauded customers’ checks was deposited in an account belonging to the business/Goode, court documents show.
Goode has not been charged in Johnson County. Charges are expected to be filed against her and Bragg in Lawrence County, according to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
At the time, neither Bragg nor Goode responded to detectives’ attempts to talk with them. All numbers found for Bragg had 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.
The first update on the case since last year was released last week by the Kanawha County, West Virginia Sheriff’s Office, which is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Bragg. Kanawha County detectives are working in conjunction with not only Johnson County detectives, but also the Lawrence County, Indiana Sheriff’s Office and the Walton County, Florida Sheriff’s Office.
Bragg currently has a warrant out for his arrest in Florida, officials said.
Through the work of Johnson County Sheriff’s Office detectives, investigators were able to determine the two are likely in West Virginia. Once Sheriff Duane Burgess was told of this, he told the lead detectives investigating the case — Major Damian Katt and Detective Alex Talley — he was going to send them to West Virginia to work on finding them, he said.
In December, Katt and Talley went to West Virginia to search for them and gather leads. They found and spoke with Goode, and while they were there, they received a call from Bragg, who said he was going to turn himself in with his attorney, Burgess said.
But this did not happen, and Bragg is still wanted. Burgess believes Bragg did this to buy more time, he said.
“He was throwing a curve ball at us to buy time,” Burgess said. “It’s made it difficult to track him with any certainty.”
Detectives also believe Bragg’s family is helping him elude law enforcement. All options are on the table for Bragg, including upping his charges and seeking federal assistance to stop his alleged actions, Burgess said.
Bragg is now also wanted for questioning by Kanawha County deputies in connection to reports of him defrauding Kanawha County residents. Those deputies are going to continue to search for Bragg, who is believed to still be in or around Kanawha County, and work with Johnson County detectives, officials said.
Burgess believes Bragg will continue to defraud people until he’s caught.
“He’s learned it. He knows the ins and outs,” Burgess said. “He does just enough on some things to keep him out of the criminal system, but it opens him up for civil liability.”
The situation is also sad for those who entrusted Bragg with their vehicles, Burgess said.
“They were trying to make somebody’s dream, or their dream come true, and he just does not care what life or emotions that he destroys,” Burgess said.
Detectives encourage the public to make sure they get good identification of anyone they are working with and to follow good business practices. Bragg is allegedly a smooth talker who was able to build trust with the complainants, and they didn’t think to confirm his information, said Detective Alex Talley, one of the lead investigators of the case.
Many complainants had no idea who Bragg really was, and Talley saw this first-hand when he asked them about who they were dealing with, he said.
“They said, ‘Well, it’s J.B. Everybody knows J.B.,’ or someone would say, ‘It’s John Goode.’ No one had any idea his real name was John Bragg,” Talley said.
With criminal charges pending against both Bragg and Goode in multiple states, their actions are catching up to them, Burgess said. He believes they are allegedly in this together, he said.
“This is this their method of making a living, ripping people off,” Burgess said.
If anyone has any information on Bragg’s whereabouts, they are encouraged to call the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office at 317-346-4654. People are also encouraged to call Johnson County Dispatch at 317-346-6336.
“I don’t care where he’s at, I’m going to go pick him up,” Burgess said. “We’re bringing him back to Johnson County.”
