Tina Williams and and her husband, Daniel, dreamed of restoring a classic 1962 Chevrolet pickup truck their family had owned since it was brand new some 64 years ago.
The California couple did their research and eventually hired a Las Vegas Valley classic truck restoration business, Americana Consulting, run by Henderson resident Anthony Tomaio, to do the rehab on the Chevy.
“We talked to him,” Tina Williams said. “He gave us names and phone numbers of people. One was in Tennessee. One was in Texas. One was somewhere else. We called them. They sent us videos of trucks he supposedly fixed. They said how happy they were. We thought, ‘OK this is great.’”
Before the couple gave Tomaio any money for the restoration, however, they traveled to Southern Nevada to check out Tomaio’s purported auto repair shop near Boulder Highway.
Everything appeared legitimate.
“He had a perfect shop with multiple trucks in it,” Tina Williams said. “He had a crew of people working there for him. We went and checked him out in person.”
The couple drove their classic Chevy in October 2021 to Henderson and dropped it off with Tomaio. They paid roughly $33,000 in cash for the job with a signed contract in hand.
Nearly five years later, Tina Williams said the truck is ruined, the couple is out all their money, and Tomaio is charged with running an elaborate classic truck scam that, according to authorities, has victimized people all over the globe — from New York to New Zealand — to the tune of at least $1.25 million.
“I don’t care about the money,” Tina Williams said in a phone interview this past week. “The money, it can always be remade. It’s the truck. We wanted to hand it down to our children and grandchildren. It was a family heirloom.”
Tomaio is being represented by the Clark County public defender’s office. A message seeking comment was not returned.
10 years of saving
Thomas Niblock of Long Island, New York, was committed to one day getting his wife a 1955, 1956 or 1957 pickup truck. His family saved for years, putting a few dollars here and there every year into a savings account for the project.
“She was getting ready to retire in a couple of years,” Niblock said. “For about 10 years now we’ve been putting money aside for her. Instead of buying her a present for Christmas, her birthday, Mothers Day, everyone would always give her money and it would go in the truck fund.”
Niblock hired Tomaio’s business, Americana Consulting, to find him a truck for his wife. Niblock researched the business, checked references and even visited Southern Nevada to check out Tomaio’s shop before he committed any money. He ultimately became confident that Tomaio was capable of finding a truck and building it for his wife.
“We gave him $20,000 to find us a vehicle and get it going,” Niblock said. “I mailed a check from here on Long Island. He got back to me a few days later saying we found your truck. Here’s a picture of the title.”
A family member of Niblock’s who went to Southern Nevada to check on progress was given a tour of a sophisticated auto shop in Henderson where work was purportedly being done on Niblock’s truck. Niblock also went to Southern Nevada again to check out the business. It all appeared legitimate.
“He said he was doing the work and he needed more money,” Niblock said. “So, we sent him another $20,000.”
What would soon follow after the second check was written, though, were excuses and runarounds from Tomaio about the status of the truck, Niblock said.
“I wasn’t comfortable anymore because he had been stringing us along for so long,” Niblock said. “I didn’t send him any more money. I said, ‘Listen, you have $40,000 of my money. That was supposed to be the total for this vehicle.’”
Niblock would then come across a newly created Facebook page called “Scam of Anthony Tomaio, your custom Chevy Truck, Americana Consulting Inc.”
“Within a couple of days of being out there, I was like, ‘Oh boy what is this?’” Niblock recalled of the social media page. “A couple days after that I got a call from him and he said, ‘I am going out of business. Here’s my lawyer’s number. If you need my lawyer call him.’
“I was like, ‘What are you talking about? Where’s my money?’” Niblock said. “He was like, ‘The money is gone.’”
A lengthy investigation
Las Vegas Justice Court records show Tomaio was charged by the Nevada Attorney General’s Office in February with 31 felonies: one count of fraud and 30 counts of obtaining money, property, rent or labor by false pretenses.
A document for Tamaio crafted by an investigator with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles indicates a lengthy inquiry showed Tamaio has operated an unlicensed motor vehicle dealership and body shop from the backyard and detached garage of a house he rented in Henderson. Tomaio never held a license to operate either a dealership or body shop.
“In at least 30 documented cases, Tomaio accepted payments from customers ranging from $17,000 to $83,000 and failed to deliver the products he was paid for,” the DMV investigator said. “Tomaio also failed to return much of that money, providing excuses such as a pending bankruptcy and a fire at his garage.”
Thirty documented victims are out $1.25 million, the investigator said.
Tomaio operated an online website, authorities said, where he solicited customers seeking the restoration or manufacture of antique pickup trucks. Investigators spoke to the Williams couple as part of their inquiry.
“In January of 2024, Tomaio contacted the Williams and ordered them to pick up their truck because the city of Henderwson had shut Tomaio down,” the investigator wrote. “The Williams picked up the truck which was missing its engine, transmission, drivetrain, brakes, interior and several other items. The Williams received no refund.”
Another victim is listed as losing $83,465.
“The above accounts are only two out of 30 I have received from the victims,” the investigator wrote, adding that bank records show Tomaio paid over $800,000 in refunds to other customers, but only $5,000 of that was paid to any of the victims the investigator interviewed.
The investigator also wrote there is evidence that Tomaio did perform work on some vehicles. The document does not immediately explain what victims describe as a professional body shop that they toured that Tomaio represented was his.
An online campaign for justice
Nyle Ford, of Greeley, Colorado, and his wife endured a family tragedy when Ford’s 27-year-old stepson died from muscular dystrophy. In his stepson’s memory the couple planned to get a classic pickup and drive across the country, posting blogs and tributes to their lost loved one with a focus on accessibility for those with disabilities.
“He wanted a truck and he wanted to go travel,” Ford said of his stepson. “So, once he passed, we decided we were going to take that role on.”
Ford found Tomaio on Ebay. He traveled to Southern Nevada, met Tomaio in person, then sent him half the money for the purchase of a classic truck.
“At that time we gave him about $15,000,” Ford said. “He was purchasing us a 57 Chevy 3100 pickup. The first deposit was to go get the truck. A couple weeks later he said he found me a truck and sent me a picture and said, ‘I need the rest of the deposit,’ so we sent him the money with four to six months before it was done.”
Over time, however, Ford became concerned about whether progress was being made on the truck. He called Tomaio and told him he was coming to Henderson to pick up the vehicle. Tomaio then called him back and said the truck would be delivered to Ford in a matter of weeks.
Ford eventually did receive his truck.
“The driver of the transport company tried to back it out of the trailer and it wouldn’t even go in reverse,” Ford recalled. “He pushed it out and it didn’t have any brakes.”
A close inspection showed extremely shoddy work on the vehicle, Ford said.
“The more I look at it the more I see this thing is a pile of crap,” Ford said, adding “the quality and craftsmanship were horrible.”
He called Tomaio and said he wanted his money back, but Tomaio at first refused. Ford said he eventually told Tomaio “Well I am going to come to the desert with a shovel and I am going to do some hiking. Would you like to come along with me?”
Days later a hauler sent by Tomaio showed up at Ford’s house and hauled the truck away. Ford soon received a check for a full refund of almost $36,000.
“I got every dime of it back, but I felt that this was not enough,” Ford said.
Ford created the Facebook page called “Scam of Anthony Tomaio” and said “my notification button is lighting up like a Christmas tree.”
He received inquiries from across the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom who alleged they had lost money with Tomaio. The Facebook page now has 68 members.
“I spent two years trying to stop him and I am so happy that I did,” Ford said.
Tomaio was scheduled to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court Thursday morning for “negotiations.” The case was continued until late May. He is currently out of custody on bail.
Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com.
