Illinois man faces up to 7 years in prison after he is found guilty of tampering with motor vehicle

A Phelps County jury found Wayne Whitmore, 34, guilty of felony tampering with a motor vehicle.

Deputies said the incident happened in 2014, when Whitmore traded a Polaris ATV to a Rolla resident. Whitmore was accused of never delivering the vehicle’s title.

During the trial, the ATV’s owner testified that the vehicle went missing earlier in 2014 and he never gave Whitmore permission to give the vehicle away.

Whitmore’s mother claimed the ATV had belonged to her but another witness’s testimony accused Whitmore of claiming ownership of the vehicle.

Whitmore will be sentenced on March 8 and faces up to seven years in prison.

Prosecutor Brendon Fox said, “One important lesson from this case is to make sure to get the title whenever purchasing a vehicle. There are a lot of scammers looking to take advantage of people.”