Famously beloved Ferrari mechanic who has worked with stars including Jay Leno faces charges of trying to sell two supercars he didn’t own as serial criminal past comes to light
A well-known Ferrari mechanic who has appeared with celebrities such as Jay Leno was jailed earlier this month for trying to sell a vintage car he allegedly never owned.
Donnie Callaway, 60, restores the Italian sports cars and maintains a popular social media presencewith nearly 200,000 followers who see his work on the old school vehicles and often brags about buying art and living a lavish lifestyle.
The alleged ‘Ferrari savant’ even appeared on an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage where Jay allowed him to buy and restore a car he had dreamed of owning since childhood, but it appears he is also a career criminal and potential fraud .
He was arrested on April 1 in Arizona on allegations that he tried to sell a Ferrari Daytona and Ferrari 512BB to a collector without actually owning them.
On his Instagram account, Callaway had been working on a 512BB in his recent posts.
A well-known Ferrari mechanic who has appeared with celebrities such as Jay Leno was jailed earlier this month for trying to sell a vintage car he allegedly never owned
He was arrested on April 1 in Arizona on allegations that he tried to sell a Ferrari Daytona and Ferrari 512BB to a collector without actually owning them. On his Instagram account, Callaway had been working on a 512BB in his recent posts
After an apparent sting operation set up by the prospective buyer, he was arrested by county sheriffs, according to Mercury News.
He was jailed and charged with theft, dealing in stolen property, forgery and fraud, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
Callaway is being held on a $400,000 cash bond and faces an April 17 arraignment.
While his reputation is considered good among some in the mechanic community, there had been complaints about his prices, including a $130,000 job on a 2023 Ferrari 328 that left the customer saying he ‘should be FRISTED’ for the ‘monstrously high ‘ prices.
An anonymous Instagram account began taunting Callaway, describing him as a ‘con mechanic’ who aims to ‘take your car apart and never put it back together’.
Callaway’s arrest has led to the revelation of a previous criminal record dating back decades.
He was convicted of burglary in 2001 and also charged with several counts of theft and fraud.
In 2003, he was convicted of grand theft and possession of a controlled substance before being found guilty of domestic violence in 2006.
The alleged ‘Ferrari savant’ even appeared on an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage where Jay allowed him to buy and restore a car he had dreamed of owning since childhood, but it appears he is also a career criminal and potential fraud
Callaway (pictured left) was jailed and charged with theft, dealing in stolen property, forgery and fraud, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
In 2012, he was convicted once again, this time for both perjury and extortion.
He likely faces more legal trouble — at least another lawsuit and a legal statement — for selling cars he didn’t own in the first place outside of this Arizona case.
Thomas Shaughnessy, a Ferrari consultant and historian, filed in California Superior Court that Callaway tried to sell a Ferrari Monza that did not belong to him at a Paris auto show.
The statement may be related to a separate lawsuit Callaway is facing in the San Diego area.
A Belgian man named Arthur Teerlynck sued him last August for unfair business practices, breach of contract, fraud and violations of California’s Automotive Repair Act.
It claims he overcharged to restore a 1973 Ferrari Daytona worth $950,000, a 1961 Maserati 3500 Spyder Vignale worth $825,000, a 1986 Ferrari 328 worth $100,000 and a $100,000 Fly, $10095 and a $100,000.
Teerlynck claims he paid $1.46 million to Callaway for services he was not authorized to perform, and also wrongfully took control of Terrlynck’s cars and tried to hide them from him.
Perhaps most egregiously, Callaway is accused of putting pieces into a $200,000 Ferrari Testarossa meant to make the engine fail on purpose, then posting about how damaged it was on Instagram.
Callaway likely faces more legal trouble — at least one other lawsuit and a legal filing — for selling cars he didn’t own in the first place outside of this Arizona case
A Belgian man named Arthur Teerlynck sued Callaway last August for unfair business practices, breach of contract, fraud and violations of California’s Automotive Repair Act
Teerlynck is seeking fees and damages via a jury trial.
Callaway has a trial scheduled to begin on August 14th and a status hearing on Teerlynck’s trial on May 14th.
DailyMail.com contacted a lawyer for Callaway for comment.