Bart Reagor’s Family Speaks Out as He Reports to Jail: It’s a ‘100 Percent Wrongful Conviction’
As one of the most talked-about chapters in Lubbock history closes with Bart Reagor reporting to federal prison in Oakdale, Louisiana to begin his sentence for making false statements to a bank, those who were closest to him are sharing their side of the story and their concerns for their father's health.
Riley Reagor, son of the beleaguered auto magnate, posted a lengthy statement to Facebook that was written by his older brother Ryan to shed some light on what the family believes, along with opinions about their father's legal issues and the case against him that ultimately resulted in a 14-year prison sentence.
In the lengthy and detailed statement, Ryan Reagor shared the viewpoint that their father was essentially a scapegoat for the actions of his partners and longtime allies, most specifically the former CFO of Reagor Dykes Auto Group.
From the Facebook story:
"In late summer of 2018, my family and I were on vacation. On about the 3rd or fourth day of the vacation, we were all going to take a boat out for the day, but my parents told us that they weren’t going to come with us but that we should still go. I will never forget on the way back in, my sister asked me, “do you trust our CFO?” I replied with an emphatic yes, bc at that exact moment I thought he was my dads best friend and he was so critical to my dad that my dad told me that if anything were to ever happen to him, I should call Shane bc he knew where every penny of my dads personal finances sat and how to access it. It turns out Rachel was very right in her skepticism, bc when we got back to the hotel my dad was packing his bag to head back to Lubbock, because Ford Motor Credit had stormed the RDAG dealerships, taken possession of the keys to every vehicle, and had essentially shut the RDAG down..."
Ryan continues that his father's legal counsel advised him to file bankruptcy and settle with Ford, which he would not do as he felt he had done nothing wrong:
"My dad was pretty much being told by everyone that he should file personal bankruptcy, and settle with Ford Motor Credit," Ryan Reagor said. "That is what his partner ended up doing, but my dad would not. He is a fighter and very headstrong, and I have nothing but respect for the fact that he is not going to admit to anything that he did not have a part in."
Without question, the Reagor family feels as if their father was railroaded by Ford Motor Credit and his partners even though his conviction was upheld. Ryan stressed that they see the two not guilty verdicts on bank fraud charges as a "win" and that they choose to see the positive in this situation.
Admittedly we've had some fun and taken shots at Bart Reagor here and there (examples 1 and 2), but regardless of your thoughts about his guilt or innocence, the Reagor family is still solidly behind their patriarch and are united in their belief that the system failed in this instance.
You can read the entire statement written by Bart Reagor's son Ryan and posted to Facebook by Riley Reagor below: