Ex-Whiteland hot rod shop employee headed to federal prison

JOHNSON COUNTY— A former Johnson County man first exposed by WRTV Investigates in 2022 for his Whiteland hot rod shop’s business practices is headed to federal prison.

On Wednesday, John Bragg pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Bragg’s business, known as “JB Bugs Trick Truck N Rod,” maintained operations in various locations, including Tennessee and Indiana.

Brad Forestal

A federal judge sentenced him to 6 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervise release.

“Bragg held himself and his business out to be specialists in Volkswagen restoration, including by participating in online communities of Volkswagen enthusiasts and appearing at functions such as automobile conventions,” read a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Tennessee. “Using that presence, he became acquainted with his victims and defrauded them.”

As part of his sentence, Bragg was ordered to pay a money judgment of $79,500 and more than $300,000 in restitution to his victims, including several people WRTV Investigates introduced you to in 2022 — Diane Bell of Bedford and Diane Kuhn of Fairland.

“I’m happy he’s finally serving some time but it’s honestly not long enough,” said Kuhn in response to the sentence. “As for the restitution, none of us will ever see any of it!”

We first introduced you to Kuhn in 2022 after she said she paid JB Bugs Trick Truck N Rod to restore her 1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle, but they never finished the job.

WRTV/Kara Kenney

Customers say John Bragg used a fake name, JB Goode, and claimed to be the owner of the business, but it was actually his significant other, Melanie Goode, who owned the hot rod shop.

Darci Bell of Bedford bought a 1965 Volkswagen bus with her husband.

WRTV/Kara Kenney

Records show she paid JB Bugs Trick Truck N Rod $14,000, which was about half of the total cost of the restoration.

Bell said JB also took her vehicle to the Chattanooga shop without her knowledge.

“We just kept getting the runaround,” Bell said. “It was just excuse after excuse.”

So, they traveled to Chattanooga to take home their van, and Bell claims it was even worse shape.

She has not received a refund.

As part of his sentence, Bragg must pay Bell $14,000 in restitution.

“I don’t see us getting our money back until he scams more people,” said Bell. “I’d rather him rot in prison than to get my money back and him scam more people!”

WRTV told you in 2022 about mounting complaints against JB Bugs Trick Truck N Rod .

Following our WRTV Investigation, Johnson County prosecutors filed criminal theft and fraud charges against Bragg in October 2022.

Those charges are still pending.

WRTV Investigates is working to find out whether the Johnson County prosecutor plans to pursue charges once Bragg is released from prison.

"We're still proceeding," said Johnson County prosecutor Lance Hamner in an email to WRTV.

After a five month manhunt, Bragg was arrested in March 2023 in North Carolina.

Bragg has not returned to Indiana to face charges out of Johnson County.

Courtesy Beaufort, NC

WRTV Investigates checked Indiana court records and found John Bragg was also convicted of theft in Johnson County in 2007, and in 2009, convicted of fraud and bigamy in Hancock County.

We reached out to Bragg’s attorney in Tennessee and we are still waiting to hear back.