"The pictures indicate that there's something wrong with the radiator, the windshield is cracked and the the bumper will probably have to be replaced," said Sabrina Furman as she looked at pictures of the Lexus she has been paying for since 2007.
You would think she would be upset over seeing the car in that kind of shape, but she's happy to see it at all. She has been trying to find it for years.
"The circumstances did not give me the impression I would ever see the car again" Furman said.
Furman bought the Lexus from Frank Masika back in 2007. Not long after, she traded it in for another Lexus. Furman said Masika convinced her to refinance the loans and sign over the $38,000 check to him, but she said he never made good on paying it all back, leaving her to finish paying for a car he had already given to someone else.
"It has been horrible because I had to refinance my home," Furman said.
In 2011, A Hampton judge ordered Masika to return the car or pay Furman $15,000. She said it wasn't until last week when she learned where the car was. A towing operator out of Jacksonville said it was involved in an accident and has been sitting there for weeks. Now she has to find the money to get it out of there.
"I was thrilled that we had found it, but quite disappointed and worried that I might have to pay $1,000 for storage fees to take possession of the car," she said.
Furman said with that, the nightmare she said making a deal with Frank Masika caused her drags on. A 2012 NewsChannel 3 investigation revealed several people accused him of taking down payments for cars he advertised on Craigslist but not delivering them.
Court records show he was considered a fugitive after missing two area trials, but he turned himself in after NewsChannel 3's stories aired.
He was found not guilty/acquitted for obtaining money under false pretenses, but was found guilty of vehicle dealer distribution without a license and was sentenced to four months behind bars.
Masika's now out of jail, but Furman said she's still handcuffed by the mess he left her in.
"I don't want to say I wish I'd never met him. He's a nice person, just not someone you want to do business with," Furman said.
NewsChannel 3 was able to reach Masika by phone Wednesday. He said between what he did pay on the loan and favors on car purchases he arranged for Furman's family members, he believes they are even.
Masika said he is working toward getting his license reinstated. He also said he is willing to talk to NewsChannel 3 about his history, as long as his lawyer is present.
Related:
Don’t Mess with Jessica: NewsChannel 3 investigates fugitive car salesman
Fugitive car salesman turns himself in after WTKR investigation
