YouTube star Cody Detwiler, better known for his channel WhistlinDiesel, has been arrested in Tennessee over alleged tax evasion tied to the infamous $400,000 Ferrari he destroyed in a viral video.
Detwiler, who has more than 10 million subscribers, showcased the car’s fiery demise in a widely viewed clip titled The Fastest Way to Lose Half a Million Dollars, sparking outrage and fascination across social media.
The Tennessee indictment claims that Detwiler attempted to evade over $500 in state taxes during the Ferrari’s January 2023 purchase.
While the figure cited in the legal documents is relatively small—the minimum threshold for a felony—the actual tax liability on the supercar, including state and local sales taxes, likely ranges from $28,000 to $40,000.
Detwiler was booked, photographed for a mugshot, and released after posting a $20,000 bond. His company, WhistlinDiesel LLC, is also listed in the charges, with a first hearing scheduled for November 19.
Detwiler immediately addressed the arrest on Instagram, sharing footage of himself in handcuffs and asserting he had “ALWAYS paid ALL of my taxes” and had received no prior notice of any issue before law enforcement showed up at his door.
The arrest highlights an unusual loophole that has long been used by exotic car collectors: registering vehicles through Montana-based LLCs to avoid paying sales taxes in their home states.
Montana allows anyone, including non-residents, to register a car under an LLC, which avoids state sales taxes and bypasses strict emissions regulations in states like California.
However, the law requires that vehicles be registered in the state where they are primarily kept. In Detwiler’s case, the Montana-registered Ferrari was filmed in Tennessee, creating a public trail that investigators could follow directly from his viral video.
The Ferrari itself had become a social media sensation. In the original clip, Detwiler raced the 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo across a dry farm field, ultimately engulfing the car in flames alongside a rental van used to film the destruction.
The video quickly racked up millions of views, sparking both fascination and outrage among car enthusiasts worldwide.
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The case also sheds light on the risks of publicly documenting high-value vehicles and questionable tax strategies online.
Tax authorities could now use social media videos as evidence of potential violations, raising questions for other exotic car collectors who have exploited similar loopholes.
While each felony tax evasion charge carries a potential prison sentence of one to six years, experts suggest that Detwiler is more likely to face a financial settlement, including repayment of the full tax amount, penalties, interest, and supervised probation.
This high-profile case may have broader consequences for the Montana license plate loophole, which has become popular among exotic car enthusiasts across the United States.
For now, Cody Detwiler’s stunt has gone from viral spectacle to a cautionary tale about social media fame, supercars, and state tax compliance.
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He must pay taxes