Greenville Ponzi King Sutton Gets Over Five Years

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Greenville Ponzi schemer has been handed a 63-month prison term for orchestrating a multi-year investment fraud that bilked over $9 million from North Carolinians. Willard Timothy Sutton, 64, pleaded guilty to mail fraud on February 26, 2025.

The court also ruled that Sutton must fork out $8,986,162 in restitution. Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar branded the scheme as a ‘complex and brazen Ponzi’ that exploited the trust of hard-working citizens for personal gain.

Sutton, who ran Greenville Auto World, LLC (GAW), promised to help those with poor or no credit secure vehicle loans. But when his business faced financial trouble, he resorted to crime instead of admitting failure. FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. stated that the sentence and restitution should bring some justice to the defrauded investors.

Between 2019 and 2023, Sutton’s Ponzi scheme affected over 65 victims with total losses reaching $9 million. He collected an estimated $63 million from investors during the offense period. Sutton sold BHPH finance contracts to outside investors, falsely assuring them of safety and security, while GAW was struggling financially.

Unbeknownst to investors, Sutton used fraudulent means to pay off earlier ones, including forging signatures and providing fake title documents. In 2022, he solicited additional funds from BHPH investors to finance GAW’s inventory, misleading them about the true purpose of the funds.

The sentence was announced by Daniel P. Bubar following the sentencing hearing. The investigation was conducted by the FBI Charlotte Field Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuting on behalf of the government.