TBA Law Blog

TBA Law Blog

Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Kentucky Car Salesman’s Theft Conviction

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Apr 13, 2026

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an opinion today affirming the conviction of Ronald Matthew Lacy for theft of property over $60,000, concluding that the state had jurisdiction and sufficient evidence to support the verdict. According to a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts, Lacy, a Kentucky-based luxury car broker, was convicted after persuading a Lenoir City dealership owner in 2015 to wire funds for a Mercedes that Lacy did not own and never delivered. A Loudon County jury convicted Lacy of theft and Lacy moved for a new trial, arguing that Tennessee lacked territorial jurisdiction and failed to prove that he obtained Dyer’s money without effective consent. The trial court rejected those arguments and the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Lacy’s conviction. The Tennessee Supreme Court granted Lacy’s permission to appeal the decision. In its opinion, the court held that Tennessee had territorial jurisdiction because Lacy used electronic communications, including text messages and emails, to complete the transaction, and found the evidence showed he obtained the funds through deception, rendering the victim’s consent ineffective. The court upheld rulings by both the trial court and the Court of Criminal Appeals in rejecting Lacy’s arguments for a new trial.

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