Man Pretends to Be Pro Basketball Player, Steals $90,000 BMW from Georgia Hotel
A suspect claiming to be a professional basketball player walked away with a $90,000 BMW X5 from the Hyatt Regency Savannah after fooling valet staff.
Around 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 14, a man who said he was a professional basketball player convinced valet employees at the Hyatt Regency Savannah that he owned a gray 2026 BMW X5. After showing a valet ticket, he entered the $90,000 SUV and left the hotel. The car, a loaner supplied by a dealership, was later traced to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and entered state and national stolen-vehicle databases.
Investigators noted the suspect had earlier been seen retrieving items from a white 2025 Audi A5, which was also reported stolen the day before and found unlocked in the hotel garage. Police say the same individual is suspected in a separate valet theft at a Fairfield Inn, where a guest’s 2019 Toyota C-HR vanished after a retrieval code was used early morning on Aug. 5. Authorities describe the suspect as a Black male between 20 and 30 years old.
Why it matters
The case highlights how impersonation can exploit hotel valet services and result in high-value vehicle thefts.
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