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{{Short description|American convicted criminal and race car drivee}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox criminal
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| image = ScottTuckerRaceCarDriver.jpg
| caption = Tucker in 2010
| nationality =
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|May 5, 1962}}
| birth_place = [[Kansas City, Missouri]], U.S.
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| conviction_penalty = 1 year (1991); 16 years, 8 months (2017)
| conviction_status = In prison
| imprisoned = [[United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth|Leavenworth]] 1991–1992, [[Federal Correctional Complex, Yazoo City|FCI Yazoo City]] 2018–
}}
{{Infobox racing driver
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| Class Wins = 0
}}
|championships=2010 ALMS LMPC
2011-2013 ALMS LMP2}}
'''Scott Tucker''' (born May 5, 1962) is an American convicted [[Racket (crime)|racketeer]], [[loan shark]], [[Mail and wire fraud|fraudster]], and [[Money laundering|money launderer]] who used his illegal funds to finance{{snd}}and drive for{{snd}}his own [[sports car racing|sports car]] [[Endurance racing (motorsport)|endurance racing]] team.
In 2001, Tucker founded an online business, AMG Services, that made [[Payday loan|payday loans]] even in states where these high-interest, low-principal loans were restricted or illegal. The business, which generated over $3.5 billion in revenue from just 2008 to June 2013,<ref name=":1" /> ultimately made loans to at least 4.5 million Americans.<ref name=":1">{{cite web | url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/scott-tucker-sentenced-more-16-years-prison-running-35-billion-unlawful-internet-payday | title=Scott Tucker Sentenced To More Than 16 Years In Prison For Running $3.5 Billion Unlawful Internet Payday Lending Enterprise | work=US Department of Justice | date=January 5, 2018}}</ref> When state regulators tried to shut down his operations, Tucker made deals with Native American tribes to claim ownership of his business and invoke [[Tribal sovereignty in the United States|sovereign immunity]] from state courts.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.publicintegrity.org/2011/09/26/6605/payday-lending-bankrolls-auto-racers-fortune | title=Payday lending bankrolls auto racer's fortune | work=Center for Public Integrity | first=David | last=Heath |date=September 26, 2011}}</ref> In February 2016, Tucker was arrested and indicted on federal criminal charges filed in the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York]] in relation to his ownership and controlling role in various [[Payday loans in the United States|payday lending]] operations that were found to have charged illegal interest rates in violation of [[Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act|RICO]] and [[Truth in Lending Act|TILA]] statutes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/manhattan-us-attorney-announces-charges-against-owner-and-attorney-2-billion-unlawful|title=Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Owner Of, And Attorney For, $2 Billion Unlawful Internet Payday Lending Enterprise|date=10 February 2016|publisher=United States Department of Justice}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/pro-racecar-driver-scott-tucker-charged-payday-loan-36838155|title=Pro racecar driver Scott Tucker charged with payday loans|publisher=ABC news|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160213052843/https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/pro-racecar-driver-scott-tucker-charged-payday-loan-36838155 |archive-date=February 13, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Tucker was convicted of making illegal payday loans and of [[racketeering]] in October 2017; he is currently serving a sentence of 16 years and 8 months in federal prison.<ref name=":1" />▼
In 1991, Tucker was convicted for his illegal activities, including mail fraud, associated with a bogus lending company he operated, Chase, Morgan, Stearns & Lloyd, which he falsely claimed was associated with each of the four major banks whose names he included in the name of the company. He served one year in prison.
Tucker began his racing career in 2006, most notably competing in the [[American Le Mans Series]] and [[United SportsCar Championship]] for his [[Level 5 Motorsports]].<ref name="Speed Million">{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703940904575395452654498336|title=Racing's One-in-a-Million Story: After taking up the sport just four years ago, a 48-year-old American makes history at Le Mans|last=Baime|first=A.J.|date=July 29, 2010|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/alms-scott-tuckers-bucket-list/|title=ALMS: Scott Tucker's Bucket List|work=auto-racing.speedtv.com}}</ref> ▼
▲In 2001, Tucker founded an online business, AMG Services, that made [[Payday loan|payday loans]] even in states where these high-interest, low-principal loans were restricted or illegal. The business, which generated over $3.5 billion in revenue from just 2008 to June 2013,<ref name=":1" /> ultimately made loans to at least 4.5 million Americans.<ref name=":1">{{cite web | url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/scott-tucker-sentenced-more-16-years-prison-running-35-billion-unlawful-internet-payday | title=Scott Tucker Sentenced To More Than 16 Years In Prison For Running $3.5 Billion Unlawful Internet Payday Lending Enterprise | work=US Department of Justice | date=January 5, 2018}}</ref> When state regulators tried to shut down his operations, Tucker made deals with Native American tribes to claim ownership of his business and invoke [[Tribal sovereignty in the United States|sovereign immunity]] from state courts.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.publicintegrity.org/2011/09/26/6605/payday-lending-bankrolls-auto-racers-fortune | title=Payday lending bankrolls auto racer's fortune | work=Center for Public Integrity | first=David | last=Heath |date=September 26, 2011}}</ref> In February 2016, Tucker was arrested and indicted on federal criminal charges filed in the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York]] in relation to his ownership and controlling role in various [[Payday loans in the United States|payday lending]] operations that were found to have charged illegal interest rates in violation of [[Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act|RICO]] and [[Truth in Lending Act|TILA]] statutes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/manhattan-us-attorney-announces-charges-against-owner-and-attorney-2-billion-unlawful|title=Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Owner Of, And Attorney For, $2 Billion Unlawful Internet Payday Lending Enterprise|date=10 February 2016|publisher=United States Department of Justice}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/pro-racecar-driver-scott-tucker-charged-payday-loan-36838155|title=Pro racecar driver Scott Tucker charged with payday loans|publisher=ABC news|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160213052843/https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/pro-racecar-driver-scott-tucker-charged-payday-loan-36838155 |archive-date=February 13, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Tucker was convicted of making illegal payday loans and of [[racketeering]] in October 2017; he is currently serving a sentence of 16 years and 8 months in federal prison.<ref name=":1" />
▲Tucker began his racing career in 2006, most notably competing in the [[American Le Mans Series]] and [[United SportsCar Championship]] for his [[Level 5 Motorsports]].<ref name="Speed Million">{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703940904575395452654498336|title=Racing's One-in-a-Million Story: After taking up the sport just four years ago, a 48-year-old American makes history at Le Mans|last=Baime|first=A.J.|date=July 29, 2010|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/alms-scott-tuckers-bucket-list/|title=ALMS: Scott Tucker's Bucket List|work=auto-racing.speedtv.com}}</ref>
==Racketeering, business and payday loans==
In 1991, Tucker was convicted of three felony charges, including [[mail fraud]] and [[making false statements]] to a bank.<!-- DO NOT REMOVE THIS SENTENCE WITHOUT A LEGITIMATE REASON TO REMOVE A PIECE OF INFORMATION WITH A VALID REFERENCE. REMOVING IT BECAUSE YOU OR SCOTT TUCKER DO NOT LIKE IT IS NOT A LEGITIMATE REASON. YOU WILL BE REVERTED. --> One of the charges stemmed from a bogus lending company Tucker ran called Chase, Morgan, Stearns & Lloyd that charged businesses advanced fees for loans that were never delivered. He was imprisoned for a year at [[United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth|Leavenworth federal prison]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Race car driver Scott Tucker drew an elaborate facade around his payday loan businesses|url=https://www.publicintegrity.org/2011/09/28/6656/race-car-driver-scott-tucker-drew-elaborate-facade-around-his-payday-loan-businesses|publisher=Center for Public Integrity|first=David | last=Heath |date=September 28, 2011 |access-date=September 28, 2011}}</ref>
Tucker was CEO of AMG Services, a [[Payday loans in the United States|payday loan]] company that was found to charge undisclosed and inflated fees and used [[Tribal sovereignty in the United States|tribal entities]] in an attempt to violate state lending laws.<ref name="CBS News"/><ref name="Record"/>
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In February 2016, Tucker was indicted and arrested for various criminal violations under [[Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act|RICO]] and [[Truth in Lending Act|TILA]] statutes for acts related to his involvement in a number of payday lending operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/file/823406/download|title=United States of America vs Scott Tucker and Timothy Muir Sealed Indictment 16CRIM091|access-date=6 February 2018|publisher=United States District Court Southern District of New York}}</ref> On October 13, 2017, Tucker was convicted of 14 counts, including making illegal payday loans and racketeering.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article178784906.html|title=Payday lender Scott Tucker of Leawood convicted of illegal payday loans, racketeering|access-date=6 February 2018|date=13 October 2017|publisher=[[The Kansas City Star]]}}</ref>
Tucker was indicted in December 2017 for filing a false tax return. The US Attorney for Kansas alleges that Tucker created a sham sale of his payday loan business to the Miami Indian tribe of Oklahoma for $120,000 while he continued to control the business
Tucker is estimated to have earned $380 million from his payday loan organization, which exploited [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] sovereign immunity laws as a loophole through which to offer payday loans in states in which they are illegal. Operating under names including Ameriloan, Cash Advance, One Click Cash, United Cash Loans, and 500 FastCash, Tucker's organization employed approximately 600 people and made loans with terms that included renewals and fees, as well as interest rates as high as 700% per year. The majority of these loans were issued to low-income individuals.<ref name="Vockrodt">{{cite news | url=http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article178784906.html | title=Payday lender Scott Tucker of Leawood convicted of illegal payday loans, racketeering | work=The Kansas City Star | first=Steve | last=Vockrodt | date=October 13, 2017}}</ref>
Blaine and Joel Tucker, his brothers, were also involved in payday lending and faced criminal charges for their activities. Blaine Tucker committed suicide in 2014, while Joel Tucker received a $4 million civil penalty from the Federal Trade Commission for selling fake payday loan portfolios to debt collectors.<ref name="Vockrodt"/><ref name="Faux">{{cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-12-06/millions-are-hounded-for-debt-they-don-t-owe-one-victim-fought-back-with-a-vengeance | title=Millions Are Hounded for Debt They Don't Owe. One Victim Fought Back, With a Vengeance | work=Bloomberg News | first=Zeke | last=Faux | date=December 6, 2017}}</ref> In July
Scott Tucker's organizations ceased operation after he and his lawyer Timothy Muir were indicted in federal court in Manhattan. They were convicted on 14 counts of racketeering, wire fraud, money laundering, and Truth In Lending Act offenses on October 13, 2017.<ref name="Vockrodt"/><ref name="Faux"/><ref name=":1"/>
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==Racing career==
Tucker used money from his illegally operated payday lending business to fund his exploits as an amateur race car driver and team owner.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vockrodt|first=Steve|date=13 October 2017|title=Payday lender Scott Tucker of Leawood convicted of illegal payday loans, racketeering|url=http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article178784906.html|work=[[The Kansas City Star]]|access-date=29 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2015 FIA Driver Ratings |url=https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/basicpage/file/20150122/Drivers%20Categorisation%20list_220115_0.pdf |access-date=March 6, 2019 |quote=Tucker, Scott: Silver}}</ref>
===Rolex Sports Car Series===
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In 2012, Tucker and Level 5 embarked on a full-season campaign in the ALMS P2 category with two new [[HPD ARX-03b]]s. Tucker scored 8 class wins to claim the 2012 P2 championship.
In 2013, Tucker went on to claim his fourth ALMS drivers' championship after scoring eight class wins in ten races.<ref>{{cite web|title=Champions in Five Classes – 2013 ALMS|date=October 20, 2013 |url=http://www.motorsport.com/alms/news/champions-in-five-classes-2013-american-le-mans-series/|access-date=February 17, 2014}}</ref>
===United SportsCar Championship===
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===SCCA===
In 2012, Tucker was the national title holder in the [[D Sports Racing]] category driving a West chassis car purpose-built for the task, claiming the SCCA record lap at Road America with a time of 1:58.997.<ref>{{cite web |title=Scott Tucker claims two titles, turns record lap in SCCA runoffs at Road America |date=September 21, 2012 |url=https://autoweek.com/article/other-motorsports/scott-tucker-claims-two-titles-turns-record-lap-scca-runoffs-road-america |publisher=AutoWeek |access-date=April 6, 2019}}</ref> [[West Race Cars]] was purchased by Level 5 in 2011, and significant resources and money were expended by Level 5 to build the record-breaking car.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dinnerwithracers.com/episode-8-the-level-5-special/|title=Ep.8 – The Level 5 Special – Dinner with Racers|date=November 17, 2015 }}</ref>
==Racing record==
===24 Hours of Le Mans results===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;
|+Racing results for Scott Tucker<ref name=LeMansResults>{{cite web|title=Scott Tucker|url=https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/track-record/driver/scott-tucker-142|publisher=[[Automobile Club de l'Ouest]]|access-date=May 12, 2023}}</ref><ref name=MSportStats>{{cite web|title=Scott Tucker Results|url=https://motorsportstats.com/driver/scott-tucker/results|publisher=Motorsport Stats|access-date=May 12, 2023}}</ref>
|-
!scope="col"| Year
!scope="col"| Team
!scope="col"| Co-Drivers
!scope="col"| Car
!scope="col"| Class
!scope="col"| Laps
!scope="col"| {{Tooltip|Pos.|Overall Position}}
!scope="col"| {{Tooltip|Class<br>Pos.|Class Position}}
|-
!scope="row"| {{24hLM|2010}}
|align="left"| {{flagicon|DEU}} [[Kodewa|Kolles]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Level 5 Motorsports]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Manuel Rodrigues<br>{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Christophe Bouchut]]
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| DNF
|-
!scope="row"| {{24hLM|2011}}
|align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Level 5 Motorsports]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Christophe Bouchut]]<br>{{flagicon|POR}} [[João Barbosa]]
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| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| '''3rd'''
|-
!scope="row"| {{24hLM|2012}}
|align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Level 5 Motorsports]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Christophe Bouchut]]<br>{{flagicon|MEX}} [[Luis Díaz (racing driver)|Luis Díaz]]
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| DNF
|-
!scope="row"| {{24hLM|2013}}
|align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Level 5 Motorsports]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ryan Briscoe]]<br>{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Marino Franchitti]]
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| NC
| NC
|}
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==Popular culture==
Tucker's illegal activities are chronicled in the 2018 episode "[[Dirty Money (2018 TV series)#ep2|Payday]]", of the [[Netflix]] documentary series ''[[Dirty Money (2018 TV series)|Dirty Money]]''.<ref name=DMoney>{{Cite episode |title=[[Dirty Money (2018 TV series)#ep2|Payday]] |series=[[Dirty Money (2018 TV series)|Dirty Money]] |publisher=Jigsaw Productions |network=[[Netflix]] |season=1 |number=2 |date=2018-01-26}}</ref>
Tucker's payday loan scheme was also profiled in the 2020 episode "[[List of American Greed episodes#ep179|The Fast and the Fraudulent]]", of the television series ''[[American Greed]]''.<ref name=AmGreed>{{Cite episode |title=[[List of American Greed episodes#ep179|The Fast and the Fraudulent]] |series=[[American Greed]] |publisher=[[Bill Kurtis#Television career|Kurtis Productions]] |network=[[CNBC]] |season=13 |number=9 |date=2020-01-20}}</ref>
==References==
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[[Category:WeatherTech SportsCar Championship drivers]]
[[Category:SCCA National Championship Runoffs winners]]
[[Category:Kolles Racing drivers]]
[[Category:Level 5 Motorsports drivers]]
[[Category:Racing drivers from Kansas City, Missouri]]
[[Category:Kansas State University alumni]]
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