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Community advocate says he was duped by dealership that disappeared overnight

Marcus Coleman said there was nothing unusual about the dealership. But then he got a call from a credit union. They hadn't been paid toward his trade-in.

MARIETTA, Ga. — He fights for peoples' rights across metro Atlanta, but one activist said he now has to fight for his own.

Marcus Coleman alleges he was duped after a now-shuttered dealership took his money for a trade-in and didn't pay the bank for his other one.

Coleman said that when he needed a car, he did his research - just like's he's done working behind some of Atlanta's biggest news-making headlines. He didn't expect to be a victim.

"Probably a guesstimate of about 25 to 30 employees," he said. "Over 100 cars on the lot."

For three months, Coleman researched his next car.

"I'm a stickler on a manual shift," he said. "Stay in a certain price range."

Then he found it.

"Corvettes, Bentleys - you name it," he said. "It lived up to its name - Georgia Luxury cars."

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It had two locations - one in Marietta and another in Douglasville. He said he went to the one in Marietta.

"Not only was everything legit, I spent five to six hours that day," Coleman said.

He walked off the lot with a new car and a trade-in deal. That was six weeks ago. Then, he got a call.

"The credit union was like, 'We haven't received payment,'" he said.

Coleman's wife works near the dealership. He said she stopped by when they couldn't get anyone on the phone.

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"They said they'd get taken care of," he said.

And so he let it go - until the credit union called again. It had cut him a check for his new car but he said the credit union told him it still hadn't gotten payment from the dealership for his trade-in. So, he stopped by on Thursday.

"Not a car in sight, person in sight," he said. "Only thing you could see was the lines that show you where to park."

The lot was empty.

"I've been duped," Coleman said.

No tags, no way to get in touch with anyone - and now the possibility of having two car payments.

"They took the check, did not pay off the loan on the Mini, which was included in this deal, and basically said screw you on filing this vehicle to get your tag. Can we take this out?" he said.

So, now, the advocate has filed a police report and will have to report his old car as stolen.

"Whoever is in that Cooper has a bad experience awaiting," he said.

On Cars.com there are one-star reviews from others saying the same thing happened to them at this dealership. One man alleged he paid for a bogus $3,300 warranty. Now, Coleman said he's going to take this experience and do what he knows how to do - advocate.

"It's a possibility that there are a number of people out there that do not know," he said.

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