Michael Minnigerode Michael Minnigerode, Con-Man, Scam Artist, Federal Informant Phoenix Arizona

    Michael Minnigerode is a known car dealer and representative of Bob Pitrie, owner of Buick, Pontiac GMC of Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Michael Minnigerode was a personal friend of Louie Majors, a well-respected Arizona businessman and founder and owner of Kachina Boats and the victim of a suspicious and as-yet unsolved murder on August 14, 2010.  Prior to Louie Majors’ death, the two discussed the sale of  Majors’ vehicle.

     A few months after Louie’s murder, Mr. Minnigerode contacted Louie Major’s family with an offer to purchase this same vehicle for $40,000.00 on behalf of Bob Pitrie and Pitrie Biuck, Pontiac, GMC.  Shortly thereafter, Minnigerode took possession of the vehicle so he could show it, and later stated that he would need to obtain title to the vehicle and pay for it.  Minnigerode met with one of Louie’s family members and both signed all the necessary paperwork to complete the sale, at which time Minnigerode said “I have forgotten the check for the truck.  I will drop it by or mail it to you tomorrow.”  Unaware of Minnigerode’s prior scandalous acts, and because Minnigerode presented a business card as confirmation that he was indeed a representative of Bob Pitrie, the family member agreed.  After offering a series of excuses and hollow explanations, no check was ever tendered by Michael Minnigerode or Bob Pitrie as payment for the vehicle.

     In September, 2011, Minnigerode indeed forwarded a check in the amount of $10,000.00, drawn off of a Bank of America account along with a note that read “More on the way, don’t be mad, love stroke.”  Fortunately, this check did clear the bank, but a subsequent post-dated check in the amount of $10,000.00, drawn off of a Wells Fargo account was returned due to non-sufficient funds.  To add insult to injury, Michael Minnigerode ceased to communicate with the family.  As of this writing, the balance owing for the truck still remains UNPAID.

 Since this incident has occurred, the following FACTS have been learned about Michael Minnigerode:

1)  Michael Minnigerode is a convicted felon who has served time in both State and Federal facilities.

2)  Minnigerode is regarded as a “Curb Stoner” --  a person who sells high-end vehicles on the internet with no dealer’s license or resale license permitting him to do so legally.

3)  In his own words, Minnigerode states that “he does not pay State or Federal income taxes and always deals in large amounts of cashing when purchasing and reselling vehicles, to avoid any detection and scrutiny on the part of the IRS and state tax agencies.

 4) Minnigerode is a long time Government  Informant for the State Of Arizona and The Federal Government.

Michael Minnigerode is a convicted drug dealer and career con-artist absent of any degree of conscience; a clever manipulator who clearly took advantage of Louie Majors’ tragic death and his surviving widow.  He has defrauded many out of vehicles and money, absent of conscience and moral compass.   Minnegerode asserts that Bob Pitrie pr

actically went bankrupt in Arizona and that he is currently in grave financial trouble, although he states that “Bob Petrie is cool to do cash deals with; Bob Pitrie loves cash.”

     The transgression against Louie Majors and his Widow is just one in a history of Michael Minnigerode’s long history of chicanery and deception, for none of which he shows any shame or embarrassment. In a similar incident involving the purchase of a Rolls Royce on Ebay in 2009 revealed that the seller “Graham” (a.k.a. Mark Edward Ritchey) requested that the money for the purchase of the vehicle be wired instead of sent through the Ebay payment system; unbeknownst to the buyer at the time, this would bypass Ebay’s payment protection system.  There was no valid title for the vehicle; however, the buyer did receive a title, sent by Michael Minnigerode of Phoeix, Arizona.  The purchaser later found out that the title he received was “skipped” title, completely illegal and bearing him no ownership of the vehicle he had purchased.  The litigation for this lawsuit consumed over two years and the buyer STILL has not received the entirety of the money he is owed. 

   Additionally, Minnigerode himself admits to purchasing Rolex watches totaling over $200,000.00 on his American Express card for the purposes of reselling them, NEVER paying the bill; he also never claimed this income on State or Federal tax returns.   Minnigerode proudly boasts that he often meets people who are in serious financial difficulties and convinces them to commit crimes in which they front him large amounts of cash for drug deal on the promise that they will reap a large return on their “investment” in just one day.  Minnigerode would persuade desperate yet willing partners to check into a hotel room and then leave them there, claiming that he was leaving to pick up the drugs and would return shortly.  Minnigerode would fail to return and, some time later, call and explain that the deal went badly, everyone had been busted and insist that they leave the hotel room immediately.  If the victim of this scam ever demanded their money back, Minnigerode would threaten that he would give the cops their name and was not above intimidation with threats of physical violence and murder, both toward them and their loved ones.  Minnigerode was also implicated in a vehicular accident involving the death of a child, but has never been charged.  He also has a solid reputation as a drug addict and an austere alcoholic.  His drug of choice is cocaine; he has been charged and convicted numerous times with offenses involving narcotics. Minnigerode has stated that he often flies on a private plane, owned by Bob Pitrie, during which both cocaine and prostitutes are readily available and plentiful. He is also a well-seasoned informant for law enforcement, well-renowned for setting someone up and then using them escape prosecution for his own criminal involvement.

 Michael Minnigerode currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, in a condo he claims he paid for in full.  He has conducted activities in Scottsdale for more than 20 years and operates out of a separate business address noted as 4340 East Indian School Road in Phoenix, Arizona. Minnigerode has swindled victims in Arizona and has expanded his victim pool to other states via the internet. Michael Minnigerode is a predator, a thief, a con-artist and a liar, preying on victims experiencing financial and emotional difficulties; state borders no know boundaries to this self-confirmed tax cheat.

Why have the MVD dealer licensing investigators failed to stop this gangster from operating selling hundreds of cars and boats without a dealers license.  How is it possible that the Attorney Generals Office Of Arizona has ignored or failed to pursue this Scottsdale criminal. Minnigerode had serious felony charges here in Arizona and in the State of Missouri and walked away. Minnergrode set someone else up and made a deal. The same situation happened in the Federal Case # 951 F.2d 364.  Please see: https://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/951/951.F2d.364.90-10348.html for further details.

 This information has been referred to the State, Federal Prosecutors and the Internal Revenue Service in Washington D.C. We will publish an updated report after this case is reviewed.