Rides meant for "pimping" end up in junkyard | Crime

SALISBURY - A man who told people he was working for the old MTV show "Pimp My Ride," ended up selling his clients cars to a local scrap yard, according to the sheriff.

Now he faces criminal charges.

Darrell Witherspoon has been charged with larceny of a motor vehicle and obtaining property by false pretense.

Several people, including Witherspoon's own cousin, say the man took their cars by promising to make needed repairs, or to fix the cars up in the style of the MTV show "Pimp My Ride."

According to investigators WItherspoon told victims that he had a contract with the show, which hasn't been in production since 2007, and that their cars were needed to be fixed up.

But instead of a flashy new paint job, rims, and big screen TV's, the cars were simply taken to C & D Salvage yard in China Grove and sold as scrap for a few hundred dollars each.

The investigation began last week when investigators told WBTV they were searching for Darrell Witherspoon.

Darrell's cousin, Don Diego Witherspoon of Kannapolis, reported that he had let Darrell take his Oldsmobile in for repairs.

A week later, Don got a call and was told that his car was at the salvage yard on Lentz Road.

Witherspoon went to the salvage yard and identified the car and was allowed to take it back.

Other victims also came forward.

Jancinia Givens and Bobby Patterson contacted deputies after finding their vehicles had also been sold without their permission to the salvage yard.

Givens had allowed Witherspoon to take a 1989 Chevrolet Caprice, a 1988 Chrysler, model unspecified in the report, and a Honda Accord.

She says she was told the cars were going to be used in the "Pimp My Ride" show.

The two Chevys were found at the salvage yard, but he Honda had not been found as of Tuesday.

According to the report the salvage yard paid $271.80 for the Chrysler, and $518.70 for a 1998 Ford Explorer that belonged to Patterson.

Darrell Witherspoon was charged on Saturday with six counts of felony obtaining property by false pretense.

He was released on $500 bond.