Galveston County shop owner gets 60 years for theft

Over five years, a Galveston County man stole scores of historic automobiles and parts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from clients at his Bacliff and San Leon custom car business. He was sentenced to 60 years in jail.

A jury in the Galveston County Court found a first-degree felony theft of more than $300,000 guilty on January 6. Richard Finley, the owner of Rationalized Classic American Street Rods, was found guilty. The judge also told him to repay victims more than $495,000. A court record shows that Finley has filed an appeal.

Prosecutors said Dickinson resident Finley defrauded customers who brought their cars to his shop for repairs, restoration, or storage. Instead of returning the cars, investigators say he quietly stored them, sold parts, and sometimes sold the cars.

The Galveston County Sheriff's Office and the Auto Crimes Task Force say that Finley took 72 people's property without their permission between April 2018 and June 2023. The police say that 24 antique automobiles and thousands of dollars' worth of components and maintenance that had previously been paid for were lost.

Customers saw how big the plan was long before officials filed charges. There are many angry reviews of Classic American Street Rods online from people who say they never received their cars and parts back. One Yelper commented, "I am still waiting for a set of wheels that I have already paid for but do not have," another said Finley "stopped answering text and calls," and a third stated the shop seemed empty when they went to reach him.

Investigators said Finley moved his business around a lot in Bacliff and then San Leon as their fears grew. When customers' cars were not replaced for months or even years, they started suing in civil court.

The Auto Crimes Task Force and the sheriff's office served a search warrant at a Dickinson Finley-connected storage facility in June 2023. The case began here. Customers reported missing cars and parts to the police.

If someone steals something worth more than $300,000 in Texas, they might go to jail for up to 99 years. Finley got 60 years in prison.

Investigators said the restitution order is supposed to assist people in getting their lives back on track, but many may never recover the worth of their cars or the time and money they spent on them.