A Galveston County, Texas restoration shop owner has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for defrauding 72 customers in a classic car engine swap scheme. Richard Thomas Finley, former owner of Classic American Street Rods, collected over $498,000 between 2018 and 2023 while promising engine conversions that were never completed.

Prosecutors say Finley operated what amounted to a multi-year criminal enterprise, taking substantial deposits before work would begin - a common practice in the restoration industry. The scheme unraveled when customers experienced long delays, limited communication, and eventually discovered their vehicles were missing parts. Investigators recovered more than 20 classic cars and returned them to owners.

The severity of the sentence stands out compared to similar cases nationwide. While restoration fraud is not uncommon, courts typically hand down far lighter penalties. The 60-year sentence reflects how authorities weighed both the financial impact and the number of victims affected by Finley's actions.