The car was being shipped from Quebec, Canada, to a car collector in Florida in December 2019, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Peace Bridge port of entry in Buffalo, New York, noticed something strange, according to court documents.
During the inspection, they saw that the rivets that held the car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) sign were covered with a black tar-like substance that was not compatible with factory standards.
The CPB suspended the car to investigate and contacted Ferrari and the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
They discovered that the car had been stolen in March 2003 from a parking lot at the Hotel Dontello in Imola, Italy, and was never recovered.
According to the documents, Paolo Provenzi, who lives in Italy, was able to prove that he, his father and his brother bought Ferrari about a month before it was stolen for about $ 309,500 (€ 260,000). The loss was not covered by insurance.
It is unclear how Ferrari went from Italy to Canada, where Mohammed Alsaloussi, from Florida, bought it in September 2019 for $ 1.435 million. Alsaloussi said he had no idea that the car had been stolen, according to the lawsuit.
Now, they both want the car back.
“When this is over, a film will be made about it,” Piras told The Buffalo News. “This car went around the world, apparently. It was in Japan for a while.”
CNN tried to contact Piras on Friday, but his office said she was not immediately available.
Alsaloussi registered the car with Ikonick Collections Ltd., a holding company for his collection of rare automobiles, according to court documents.
“Our client holds the government-issued title and registration for the vehicle and has paid fair market value to a reputable seller,” Alsaloussi’s lawyer, Richard O’Neill, said in a statement.
“We have only recently discovered the existence of the other claimant. We have many questions about the facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged sale and theft in 2003. If the other claimant appears in this case, we intend to make a very thorough investigation into the facts and circumstances that involved your complaint. We look forward to filing this action and look forward to resolving this matter. “
In the government case, the United States Public Prosecutor’s Office said it had “great doubts” about which claimant should receive the car.
“After an investigation, my office determined that it would not be appropriate for us to exercise our authority and lose this extremely valuable and previously stolen luxury car,” Attorney General James P. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement.
“Instead, after an 18-year odyssey, which we know has spanned continents and countries, we have decided that the time has come for a court to determine the rightful owner of the vehicle.”
Until the case is resolved, the car is held by CBP in Buffalo.