Shaquille O’Neal’s $180,000 Range Rover vanished on a side road in Atlanta, Georgia as he tracked the custom vehicle on an app. The NBA Hall of Famer and former L.A. Lakers star called police to report the Range Rover never made it to its destination.
Effortless Motors, based in Riverside, California, sold the Range Rover to Shaquille, who owns dozens of luxury vehicles. A custom auto shop extended the front seat to fit Shaq’s 7’1″ frame.
The Range Rover was then transported to an auto shop in Georgia.
The vehicle disappeared somewhere in Atlanta between Oct. 20 and 22.
The person who arranged the transport through Griffin Wrecker Service LLC has not yet been identified, and no arrests have been made.
Officials believe someone hacked the transport company’s network and rerouted the vehicle to a different destination.
Police are investigating similar incidents involving high end vehicles stolen in Georgia and other states.
“Investigators have confirmed that the vehicle was transported from a local fabrication business under false pretenses and is believed to have been taken to the Atlanta metropolitan area,” the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Department said in its statement.
Effortless Motors is offering a $20,000 reward for the return of the truck.
“We take the security and trust of our clients very seriously,” said a spokesperson for Effortless Motors, the dealership that sold Shaq the Range Rover.
“This was a highly coordinated criminal act targeting the transport company’s network. We are working closely with law enforcement and federal investigators to recover the vehicle and hold those responsible accountable.”
Earlier this year, Effortless Motors restored a beat up 1996 Toyota Land Cruiser as a gift from Shaq for Kobe Bryant’s mother. Kobe drove the family’s SUV when he was in high school.
