Michael T. Green, the main accused in the case regarding the theft of the classic Mercedes Benz owned by Hollywood star John Travolta has been convicted. Sentenced for owning a chop shop as well as for his part in the scheme to steal the said car, he will spend 14 years in prison. Along with him, the court has also convicted Green's accomplice, D. L. Rayford Jr., who will serve a term of 16 months in prison and pay Travolta $ 50,000 as compensation.
While Green confessed that he stole as many as 30 classic cars since 2010, Rayford pleaded guilty to the charge of grand theft auto. During the hearing on January 8, 2012, Green stated that he was not guilty of the two counts of grand theft auto that he was charged with.
In September 2011, the Grease and Pulp Fiction actor parked his 1970 Mercedes Benz 280 SI convertible in the vicinity of a Jaguar outlet in Santa Monica, California. Upon returning to the spot, he found that his vintage vehicle had been stolen. By the time the authorities apprehended the two accused in relation with the crime in December 2011, the car had been dismantled at Green's chop shop, where vehicles are stripped apart for parts.
Richard Lewis, the Police Sergeant of Santa Monica area publicly stated the duo's arrest on January 25, 2012. At that time, he said that they had withheld crucial information since their probe of the case regarding the association of the two convicts with a car theft gang was going on.
