Bragg
After being sought for nearly five months, a former Whiteland hot rod shop worker wanted on fraud charges was caught in North Carolina.
John E. Bragg II, 45, formerly of Greenwood and Nashville, was arrested by police in Beaufort, North Carolina Saturday morning following a cooperative investigation between the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Beaufort Police Department. He is wanted in Johnson County on 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.
Bragg was located via an emailed tip to the sheriff’s office. Investigations Division Major Damian Katt and his staff worked diligently with police in North Carolina to make sure everything went smoothly with the arrest, Sheriff Duane Burgess said Monday.
“I think all the detectives, everyone involved in the case, they feel relieved he’s in custody,” Burgess said.
Bragg’s arrest on Saturday caps off part of an investigation that has been underway by the sheriff’s office since last 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.
At the time, 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.
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.
At the time, neither Bragg nor Goode responded to detectives’ attempts to talk with them. All numbers found for Bragg had been disconnected, and the residence where Bragg and Goode lived in Greenwood was left abandoned with several months of rent still owed, court documents say.
Last month, detectives with the Kanawha County, West Virginia Sheriff’s Office announced they were seeking the public’s help in locating Bragg. He was wanted for questioning by Kanawha County deputies in connection to reports of him defrauding Kanawha County residents, and Kanawha County deputies were working with Johnson County detectives on the case.
Through the work of Johnson County detectives, investigators were able to determine Bragg and Goode were likely in West Virginia. In December, Sheriff Duane Burgess sent the two lead investigators — Katt and Detective Alex Talley — 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 last month.
But this did not happen, and law enforcement continued to pursue Bragg. He eventually fled to North Carolina, which Burgess believes was the result of increasing pressure from law enforcement and media in West Virginia.
“It got a little warm in West Virginia, so he had to go to North Carolina,” Burgess said Monday.
In North Carolina, detectives believe Bragg was reportedly beginning to start working toward defrauding people again. When he was arrested, Bragg allegedly gave officers an alias and said he wasn’t Bragg, Burgess said.
However, Johnson County detectives were able to confirm he was Bragg through a photo taken by North Carolina police after the arrest. Burgess believes Bragg may face charges in North Carolina as well for his alleged actions.
“He’s a deceptive individual who preys on folks and their dreams,” Burgess said.
Goode was not in North Carolina with Bragg, and detectives believe she is still in West Virginia. While she is not wanted in Johnson County, Lawrence County sheriff’s deputies are looking for her in connection to charges there, Burgess said.
Burgess encourages the public to go to a reputable person to get work done. Even if the place is reputable, people should use caution, he said.
“See how long they’ve been established in the community, that is a big thing,” Burgess said. “… You’re talking about a lot of money when people get their dream cars done. Make sure the work you’re looking for is done to perfection.”
Bragg remains in custody in North Carolina as he awaits extradition to Johnson County. He also has warrants for his arrest in Florida and West Virginia, according to the sheriff’s office.
