Well-Known Mechanic Arrested for Allegedly Selling Classic Ferraris He Didn't Own

A well-known exotic car mechanic was arrested in Arizona earlier this month after allegedly attempting to sell a Ferrari Daytona and Ferrari 512BB that he did not rightfully own, police said in court documents.

Donnie Callaway was booked in the Lower Buckeye Jail in Maricopa County on charges of theft, trafficking stolen property, forgery, and fraud on April 1.

In the public eye, Callaway appeared to live a life that most mechanics can only dream of. A quick visit to his Instagram page would be enough to make any gearhead drool. He was working on the rarest, most exquisite, vintage Italian exotics ever created. His work appeared to take him all over the world. He rubbed elbows with some of the biggest car collectors in the world. He was featured on the Jay Leno's Garage YouTube series and even mentioned previously on Road & Track. However, aside from being a mechanical talent, his recent legal battles raise questions.

The April 1 arrest for allegedly selling a Daytona and 512 BB that Callaway didn’t own comes with a host of serious charges, but they are not the only legal troubles that he is facing.

Callaway was accused of unfair business practices, title forgery, and auto theft in a lawsuit filed against him in August 2023 by Arthur Teerlynck. The suit seeks restitution of a 1973 Ferrari Daytona, a 1961 Maserati 3500 Spyder Vignale, a 1986 Ferrari 328, and a 1995 Rolls-Royce Flying Spur. This lawsuit claims that Callaway did not have the license legally required to work as an automotive repair mechanic and that he wrongfully assumed control over the plaintiff’s vehicles and was trying to hide them. It goes on to allege that Callaway sabotaged a Ferrari Testarossa in the plaintiff's garage, causing the engine to fail, and then bragged about it on social media. A court hearing on that case is scheduled for May 14.

According to a probable cause statement filed by the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) following his April arrest, Callaway originally came into possession of Teerlynck's Ferrari Daytona and Ferrari 512BB as a sort of broker, receiving the pair from the initial purchase dealership in California and convincing Teerlynck to have close to $1 million of engine and paint work done. Following a confrontation by Teerlynck over the lack of progress, police say Callaway then fraudulently convinced a shipping company that he was the owner of the vehicles and managed to take possession of the titles to each vehicle in 2020.