Law enforcement officials in Savannah are currently on the hunt for a man who managed to pull off a brazen vehicle theft by posing as a professional basketball player. The suspect allegedly convinced hotel valet staff that he was a high-profile athlete with multiple luxury cars on-site, a story that ultimately allowed him to walk away with a $90,000 BMW X5.
According to WJCL, the incident took place at the Hyatt Regency. The suspect reportedly entered the hotel lobby, went to a white Audi to grab his belongings, and then presented a valet ticket for the gray 2026 BMW X5. Surveillance footage captured the man driving away in the vehicle at 12:30 AM on August 14. This particular BMW was actually a dealership loaner being used by a hotel guest, which makes the loss even more complicated for all parties involved.
Per the NY Post, investigators noted that the suspect specifically told employees he was a professional basketball player with several vehicles at the hotel. The Georgia hotel’s valet staff mentioned that each vehicle has a unique ticket, but the suspect still manages to game the system. It should be noted that the hunt only truly began once the car was traced.
When confidence gets you well past the door
The outlet noted that the dealership tracked the stolen BMW to the 2100 block of North Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. That is when local authorities were alerted to list the SUV as stolen in national and state databases. Additionally, when the police arrived at the hote, they recovered the white 2025 Audi A5 that the suspect had been seen in before he took the BMW.
The NY Post reported that the Audi was found sitting unlocked in the Hyatt’s parking garage. Although another law enforcement agency had already listed the Audi as stolen on August 13, it was recovered in good condition with no obvious exterior damage. The records do not specify exactly how the Audi was taken in the first place, but it is clear the suspect had a pattern of using stolen vehicles to facilitate his movements.
The situation in Savannah seems to be part of a broader string of issues involving valet operations at downtown hotels throughout August. WJCL reported that another concerning incident occurred on August 6 at the Fairfield Inn, located at 135 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
In this case, a guest reportedly dropped off her black 2019 Toyota C-HR with the valet service around 4:00 PM on August 5. She expected to have her car ready the next morning, but when she attempted to use her retrieval code at 9:38 AM, the staff discovered that both the vehicle and the key were missing.
Valet records for the Toyota indicated that someone had actually used the retrieval code at 12:06 AM. Per the outlet, this was more than nine hours before the owner even attempted to request her car. The system failed to display an originating phone number, and the key, which was still listed as checked in, was nowhere to be found in the valet lockbox.
To make matters worse, WJCL reported that efforts to investigate the theft were hindered because the garage cameras were not functioning at the time, and staff could not access other camera systems. A license plate reader did manage to spot the $18,000 Toyota on Dean Forest Road around 7:00 PM on August 5, but the vehicle’s current status remains uncertain. In a different case, a woman’s rental car was parked at the hotel, but the valet had lost the key.
The Savannah Police Department is now working to identify the man involved in the BMW theft and has shared images of the suspect on its Facebook page. The NY Post noted that authorities describe the individual as a Black man between 20 and 30 years old.
Interestingly, it is not the first time someone has attempted to use the guise of a professional athlete to commit fraud. Prosecutors in other regions have dealt with similar schemes, such as the case involving Daejon Labrayae Love, who allegedly posed as a San Francisco 49ers player to defraud victims across several states.
Per the outlet, the police are asking for the public’s assistance in recognizing the man from the images posted online.
Published: Sep 8, 2026 08:10 am