WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — A Warner Robins mechanic is still facing criminal charges, more than a year after customers told us he took their money but didn't finish the job.
Now more customers are coming forward with complaints.
Cindy Green pulled her Nissan Sentra into this mechanic lot on Elberta Road on Oct. 3.
"My car was shutting off as you drive," Green said.
She says she looked up the closed mechanic shop to her. The sign in front of the shop says Tom Hunt's Transmission. But Logan Simmons told us, it's really an unnamed company and he owns the shop.
Tom Hunt's Transmission closed in December 2022.
Green says she communicated with Logan through texts.
"He said I believe it needs a body valve and torque converter," Green said.
She says after a few weeks, Simmons told her she needed a complete transmission change. She says it took some time before they changed it out and told her she could pick it up.
When he went, she took it for a test drive.
"Upon me doing the test drive, it was doing the same thing, it was dragging, it was stopping a couple of times," she said.
Green says she also grew concerned when Simmons told her she had to drive the car very slowly.
"The transmission has to be broken into at least 500 miles," she said.
She didn't understand why. She says she was willing to pay the money, but she refused to hand over $3,000 until her car was working. Now, she just wants to get it off the lot to take it somewhere else.
"It makes me feel very angry, disappointed and it's a warning for the community. As I did my research, this isn't the first time. I can't believe he's still in business taking the community's money and not performing business on cars. It needs to stop," she said.
Simmons gave 13WMAZ a hand-written letter. He did not comment on any of his theft charges, but he did comment on the situation with Green.
"It seems these customers are trying to take advantage of a small businesses generosity," Simmons wrote.
In summary, the note says that the car was fixed within three weeks. He says the customers have failed to pick up their car and make a payment. He also says the family had the car towed to the lot but notes that they were able to drive it for an hour on their test drive.
Warner Robins police say Simmons is still facing five felony charges from 2022, and in the last 11 months, they've received two other theft-related complaints about Simmons.
A year ago, Kelvin Collins with the Better Business Bureau says they reported Simmons to the State Attorney General's Office because of the number of complaints.
Before Simmons moved to the unnamed company, he worked for Houston Automotive and Transmission.
The B.B.B. says people filed 11 complaints when Simmons worked there in 2022.
"In 2023, we've only had three complaints filed," Collins said.
We asked Collins if Simmons could lose his ability to do business because of the complaints at each business.
"Could it happen? Yes. Is it very likely? Probably not. Probably not in this situation," he said.
He recommends that people share any concerns or complaints about a business, so that they can keep a record of complaints.
"Check out companies before you do business," he advises.
He says you want to look for positive ratings.
"That have committed to being BBB accredited businesses," he says.
Meanwhile, Green is considering filing a civil suit.
Simmons has not been indicted on those 2022 theft charges. District Attorney Will Kendall says they're taking the case to a grand jury on Nov. 28th. Right now, he says there are 27 alleged victims in the case and 19 charges.