Hall of Shame: Cops catch 'King of Craigslist'

He called himself the King of Craigslist. He's a local man who places plenty of ads offering houses, cars and private investment deals to attract investors. He was just featured in a Rob Wolchek investigation a few months ago for using his online ads to lure people in, who lost money in an alleged investment fraud scheme. 

Wolchek also investigated him for his Craigslist auto sales as well. But he wasn't the only one - police were investigating him too.

VIDEO: Watch the Hall of Shame report from Fox 2's Rob Wolchek, or read the transcript below. 
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This is Denny Dicapo trying to sell a vehicle.

DICAPO: You can buy it for 13 from me, you can drive it a year then sell it for 13.

This is Denny Dicapo getting arrested for selling a vehicle. Denny was just in one of my stories four months ago.

WOLCHEK TO DICAPO: I heard you're kind of of a wheeler dealer guy. You're kind of a hustler.
DICAPO: What about?

But I guess Denny didn't learn his lesson, and now he has a whole new dilemma. It's called county jail.

Denny Dicapo is a big guy, a big guy who was involved with a big crook. I exposed Denny and his criminal pal in a Problem Solver investigation this summer.

It started when I interviewed Nathan, a successful businessman who owns nursing homes. Nathan answered an ad placed by Denny that offered private investment money. Nathan was looking to expand his businesses.

I also interviewed Ken, another businessman who answered another of Denny's ads. He was looking to buy a small apartment complex.

WOLCHEK TO KEN: You were just looking for a property and when the guy that's running the property management company, or whatever, says, 'Oh and I can even get you financing!'
KEN: Exactly. 

NATHAN TO WOLCHEK: So, the total amount they were offering was 2.7 million available to me. 

Denny lures in his customers with his variety of online ads that offers properties, cars and private financing. Denny's a hands on dude, he even showed my undercover cameraman a property.

DICAPO: How's your credit?
CAMERAMAN: Pretty good.
DICAPO: What, 600, 650?
CAMERAMAN: Probably like, 680, 700.
DICAPO: Well I've got private money. You're good. You're real good then. I can get you the money.  

Yeah, he got Nathan and Ken the financing all right, but the guy who is a big crook calling himself Sam Ajami. Nathan and Ken ended up paying tens of thousands of dollars for closing costs and lawyers' fees, but never got this private investment money. The loans just weren't real. Sam Ajami wasn't real. 

The guy playing the part of Sam Ajami, the "Big Private Financeer", turned out to be a guy named Sebastian Restum, who already pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing close to five million dollars. Sebastian Restum was arrested before I could get to him, but not Denny.

WOLCHEK TO DICAPO: Hi Denny, I'm Rob Wolchek from Fox 2. Can I talk to you for a moment?
DICAPO: Yeah, you know me?
WOLCHEK: Yeah!
DICAPO: From what?
WOLCHEK: Well, I heard you're kind of of a wheeler dealer guy. You're kind of a hustler.
DICAPO: What about?
WOLCHEK: Well, about houses, cars, all kind of stuff like that.
DICAPO: What, you following me?
WOLCHEK: Well, I might be. I've been following some of your activities. 

Remember that folks because Denny didn't know it but I had a lot more video of Denny than he knows. Stuff you're going to see for the first time in a minute. But for now, let's get back to my chat with Denny.

WOLCHEK: You're not facing any charges?
DICAPO: No, nothing. Sorry.
WOLCHEK: Nothing at all?
DICAPO: No, and I can sue your ass. Actually, let me take a picture of you.
WOLCHEK: Okay, well you take a picture.
DICAPO: I'm going to take a picture. Bye guys, gotta go now. 

While, Denny snaps a photo of me - I'm flattered - he tells me he didn't know Sam Ajami was a crook and, even though he collected money from the victims, he didn't keep it. What a guy. 

WOLCHEK TO DICAPO: You're a convicted felon anyways, couldn't you get in trouble for all this stuff?
DICAPO: Alimony. It's alimony.
WOLCHEK: Well, you're still a convicted felon.
DICAPO: So what?
WOLCHEK: Well, why don't you pay your alimony then?
DICAPO: It is being paid. Bye... 

That's where the last story ended, and here's where the new one picks up.

See Denny didn't know it, but I've gotten him on undercover camera selling cars as well. He had a lot of car ads online.

DICAPO ON CAMERA: I put this on the lot, tons, tons of people call. 

My undercover cameraman answered this ad for a Ford Taurus Denny had placed. But when he got there, Denny told him it was sold, instead, offering up this Jeep which was much more expensive.

Denny claimed to be the owner of the Jeep but couldn't even figure out how to open the hood.

Denny told my cameraman he'd better buy it fast, he had other buyers in mind.

DICAPO: You can drive it a year then sell it for 13. The Mexicans love these things. 

Mexicans!? What?

Denny puts on a little more hard sell before my cameraman hits the road.  

DICAPO: Because the Mexicans are coming this weekend. Two of them. With their posse. 

Besides Denny's weird comments, this video is interesting for other reasons. Because it turns out, Denny's under investigation by the Auburn Hills Police Department for fraud involving the sale of at least one vehicle.

Here's Auburn Hills Police Lieutenant Jill McDonald.

MCDONALD: We got warrants for him for false pretenses and intent to present a false title to the Secretary of State. Both are felonies.

Thursday morning the cops pick Denny up. The whole ordeal got Denny in such a tizzy he had to be taken to the hospital for observation. If he thought this was a way to weasle out of being arraigned in a timely fashion, he was wrong. A magistrate came and arraigned him right in his hospital bed. 

Thank goodness Denny's all right. The docs released him and he was sent straight to the Oakland County Jail. His bond was $70,000, no ten percent. That means he won't get out unless someone can come up with $70,000 cash.

Denny's likely to go straight from Oakland County Jail to Macomb County Jail. Remember how he told Wolchek he was paying his child support? A month after he said that, his probation was violated in his felony child support case. Might be wondering how big of a deadbeat dad you have to be to have a felony child support case? Denny owes $124,000 in back child support. 

Hey Denny maybe you can call one your private investors to bail you out, or maybe I can just put you in the HHHHHHALLL OF SHAME!

Denny Dicapo was not charged in the investment fraud story I did over the summer, however the feds say he is under investigation. Click here to watch that story. 

The Auburn Hills Police Department put together what they say is a strong case against Dicapo regarding the auto fraud. A not guilty plea was entered by Dicapo at his arraignment. Police believe there are more cases involving cars Denny may have sold or brokered, and suggest if you've bought a car from Denny to contact your local police agency or email me at Rob.Wolchek@foxtv.com.