Diesel Tuners from the TV Show Taken into Custody for Stealing Property

      Brad Ekstam / One Way Diesel Performance

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      One Way Diesel Performance, located in Nacogdoches, Texas, is known for several reasons. For one, it's featured on the show Texas Metal’s Loud and Lifted, which airs on MotorTrend TV. If you aren’t familiar with the shop from the show, you might have come across its Cummins diesel-swapped Lamborghini Gallardo that gained viral fame in 2023. However, about a year and a half ago, the shop made headlines for negative reasons when unhappy customers sought to shut it down permanently. Those issues persist, as the owners of One Way Diesel were recently arrested for property theft amounting to at least $300,000.

      Chase Wells and his father, Tommy Wells, were apprehended on March 27 by the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office. They were taken to the county jail and quickly released on bond at $50,000 each, as the NCSO’s website indicates they were out in under 45 minutes.

      Official indictment documents obtained by The Drive reveal that both members of the Wells family are charged with unlawfully “acquiring or otherwise exercising control over” property from three separate customers. In one case, property was reportedly held from approximately May 13, 2022, to May 18, 2024, valued between “$30,000 or more but less than $150,000.” In another, property valued at “$2,500 or more but less than $30,000” was retained between January 1 and October 2, 2024. The most serious allegation involves withholding property for over five years, valued at “$150,000 or more but less than $300,000.”

      Each indictment concludes by stating, “And it is further presented that all of the amounts were obtained pursuant to one scheme or continuing course of conduct, and the aggregate value of the property obtained was $300,000 or more.”

      Addressing the One Way Diesel Performance situation…

      The Drive published an extensive report on One Way Diesel in October 2024. This article included a firsthand account from Brad Ekstam of FASS Diesel Solutions, who hired the shop to build a six-door Ford F-450. Subsequently, he initiated a smear campaign against One Way after they returned the truck with numerous issues. Our report also noted the case of Diego Singleton, who claims One Way retained his $50,000 deposit without ever working on his 1979 Ford. Neither Ekstam nor Singleton were mentioned in the latest indictments.

      A trial date has yet to be established for Chase Wells or Tommy Wells, although both cases will proceed through the grand jury of Nacogdoches County. The proposed charges are categorized as first-degree felonies in Texas.

      Do you have a tip or question for the author? Reach out directly at: caleb@thedrive.com