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Distressed auto dealer pulls gun on bank executive

Eric Carmack is charged with threatening a bank official with a gun.

ST. LOUIS – The owner of a controversial car dealership is facing more criminal charges this week.

The I-Team began investigating Driven Auto Sales in February when 30+ customers complained that Eric Carmack sold them a car but never gave them proof of ownership documents.

Now Carmack is charged with threatening a bank official with a gun.

Months ago, a judge ordered Carmack to stop selling cars. But that's exactly what witnesses said Carmack was doing just before he pulled a gun on a bank executive June 2.

Witnesses report seeing the Carmacks throwing rocks through the window of the business in Silex June 1.

He and his wife were allegedly ordered to stay away from the business for 24 hours.

A day later Heritage Bank's chief lending officer, Andrew McElwain arrived with a tow truck to seize several cars off the lot. That's when witnesses said Carmack came out with a gun.

He allegedly threatened that if anyone moved his vehicles, he would kill them.

A tow truck driver on the scene also claims Carmack hit him with his car as he drove away.

A police document indicates Carmack and his wife then drove a few feet to a gas station next door, where he left his semi-automatic pistol.

Carmack was arrested and is now being charged with a felony for unlawful use of a weapon.

One witness said Carmack was trying to sell her a car at the Silex dealership shortly before the altercation. A St. Charles County judge previously ruled the Carmack's not be allowed to sell any vehicles in Missouri.

Due to those previous court rulings, just this week a judge ordered Carmack to pay $10,000 in attorney fees to the bank.

Carmack has also been ordered to turn over several vehicles the bank has been unable to locate for months. His attorney declined to comment.

Carmack will be in court in Lincoln County on July 26 to answer this latest charge.

Carmack drove away from our cameras in February when we tried to ask him about why his customers weren't getting titles for their vehicles. But he couldn't drive away from fraud charges filed the Missouri attorney general, filed shortly after our report. Both locations of his business were foreclosed earlier this year.

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