YouTube Star Faces Felony Charges Over Destroyed Supercar
Popular YouTuber Cody Detwiler, known for his destructive vehicle content on the WhistlinDiesel channel, has been arrested and charged with tax evasion related to his purchase of a $400,000 Ferrari. The 27-year-old, whose channel boasts over 10 million subscribers, was taken into custody earlier this month following an indictment sworn into Williamson County Courts on November 5.
The Charges and The Arrest
Court documents allege that Detwiler unlawfully and willfully evaded tax due to the State of Tennessee in an amount of five hundred dollars or more. The charges specifically reference his 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo, purchased in 2023. Detwiler was arrested one week after the indictment, with six officers arriving at his door with an arrest warrant.
Following his arrest, Detwiler took to Instagram, posting his mugshot and videos of the incident. He captioned one post: "Won so big they thought I was cheating. (100% real not AI)" – a likely reference to a staged arrest he filmed with a Georgia Sheriff's office in 2022. In a subsequent post, he claimed he had "ALWAYS paid ALL of my taxes" and remained unsure of the specific reasons for the charges.
The Montana Loophole and Potential Penalties
The Ferrari featured in Detwiler's videos bore a Montana license plate, indicating it was registered in that state. This is a well-known tactic among supercar buyers, as Montana has no sales tax on vehicles. In contrast, Tennessee's sales tax is seven percent, with potential local additions bringing it closer to ten percent. On the high end, this could have meant an additional $40,000 on the car's price tag.
The charges against Detwiler are a Class E felony. If found guilty, he faces one to six years in prison and a maximum fine of $3,000. The same charges have been filed against his business entity, WHISTLINDIESEL, LLC. Detwiler was released after posting a $20,000 bail.
The Viral Ferrari Destruction
Detwiler purchased the luxury sports car specifically for his 'durability test' series. The Ferrari appeared in two videos on his channel. In the first, which gained 7.1 million views, he subjected the car to drifting on dirt roads, sawing off a mirror, and pelting it with rocks. The second video, which shows the car's ultimate demise, has garnered a staggering 16 million views.
In that final video, Detwiler drove the Ferrari through a dry cornfield. Highly flammable corn husks apparently entered the car's wheels and engine bay, causing it to ignite while he was still behind the wheel. He and a passenger escaped just before the fire spread uncontrollably. A nearby rental van used by his filming team also caught fire, resulting in both vehicles being completely destroyed.
A court date has been set, and the investigation continues. The Daily Mail has reached out to both Detwiler and the Williamson County Sheriff's Office for further comment.
