San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Indiana raid raises questions

A raid of an Indiana specialty car shop by San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office deputies is facing scrutiny over allegations Sheriff Carlos Bolanos did so as a favor to a friend.

The issue stems from an alleged payment dispute between Mark Racop, the owner of Fiberglass Freaks, which makes classic 1966 Batmobile cars, and Bay Area real estate broker Sam Anagnostou, who ordered one in 2017. According to Racop, a missed 2019 payment from Anagnostou and a lack of contact over nine months about the payment bumped Anagnostou to the end of the line for a car. The subsequent disagreement over the delivery timeline and contract details spilled over into 2020 and led to Anagnostou filing a police report with the Atherton Police Department and civil suit in San Mateo County Superior Court on Aug. 24, 2021, according to court documents provided by Racop.

After review, the DA’s Office in September decided against filing charges based on the police report, while a judge dismissed the Superior Court case in February, documents show.

Racop thought the legal issues were dealt with until things took a turn on July 19 when four deputies with the Sheriff’s Office raided Racop’s shop in Logansport, Indiana, nearly 2,300 miles away from San Mateo County. After being summoned to his business after lunch with his family by local police before the raid, deputies entered Racop’s shop and detained him. The deputies took information files for Anagnostou and another customer, brought Racop to jail but didn’t book him, and froze his bank account, Racop said. A Cass County, Indiana, warrant delivered to Racop showed the deputies were authorized to seize the Batmobile in question and parts associated with it, along with documentation. According to an ABC7 News report, Anagnostou allegedly asked his Facebook friend Bolanos to intervene in the situation.

“It was absolutely nuts,” Racop said. “They wouldn’t listen to a word I said.”

The San Mateo County DA’s Office has also now filed charges against Racop for fraud and misuse of construction funds, both felonies, which he vehemently denies. Racop will visit San Mateo County Aug. 19 for his warrant arraignment.

“Of course, that is absolutely ridiculous,” he said.

Messages left Monday with Sheriff Carlos Bolanos were not returned. Bolanos lost a primary election earlier this year and is set to leave office in January. The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said it would not comment because the matter was a criminal investigation and directed questions to the DA’s Office. The DA’s Office did not make anyone available for comment. Anagnostou did not return requests seeking comment.

In 19 years of business, Racop said he has never failed to deliver an order of his 1966 Batmobile replica and would have been happy to do so with the current situation. The replicas cost around $250,000 when Anagnostou bought the car, although he got it on sale, Racop said. The model nowadays costs over $300,000. A 1966 replica sold in an online auction in 2020 went for around $148,000. Given the current charges and other supply issues due to the pandemic, he doesn’t plan to continue his work for much longer. He only intends to make five more replicas before retirement. Racop, who serves as a local minister, said the experience had taken a toll on him.

“The whole thing stinks to high heaven,” Racop said. “As far as my life, it was completely disrupted. It’s causing me sleepless nights and trouble concentrating, and I already have heart and lung problems. This has been devastating.”

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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