32-year-old Joseph Tittle was caught after Embezzling money from his job at Renegade Racing and Performance on Webb Road on June 28th. On June 28th, officers received a theft case regarding the manager stealing from the business where he was employed. In June 2024, Ashley Rowell was invoiced $4,500 for vehicle repairs conducted at Renegade Racing. Tittle advised her that the price had increased to $6,703.91 due to parts and labor difficulty. Two shop technicians, Keith Arnold and Steven Klasi, were present when Rowell came into the shop to pay the invoice. They witnessed Tittle take $6,703.91 from Rowell in cash. Later, the owner’s wife audited the company’s invoices. She discovered a forged invoice for $4,500 on Rowell’s transaction logged into the invoice system. She also found an invoice for the $6,703.91 which Rowell paid in the Renegade Racing and Performance email trash folder. She determined that there is $2,203.91 unaccounted for in the shop records. Tittle is the only one who handles the money and invoice system, therefore making him responsible for the discrepancy.
Officers then received another case case regarding Tittle stealing again on the same day. In late October 2023, Jonathan Bright paid $5,000 directly to Tittle for an engine swap service through Renegade Racing and Performance Shop. When work began on the vehicle in July 2024, the owner of Renegade Racing called Bright. Bright informed the owner that he had already paid for the service. However, it was discovered that the payment never reached Renegade Racing’s books. There was no invoice for the original quote or receipt for the payment, which is against the shop’s typical billing protocol. Bright provided screenshots of the texts between him and Tittle, discussing the price of the service, which was $5,000. Bright also provided the owner with statements from the day he withdrew the money from his account. This lined up with the dates and made Tittle directly responsible for dealing with the invoices and taking payments for the shop. Tittle was taken into custody for two counts of property theft on August 5th.
