Stolen 911 Turbo recovered after Sarasota car museum thief registers it … in Sarasota

It was a one-two punch for the Sarasota Classic Car Museum in Florida.

First the museum, situated in the same location for half a century, received notice from its landlord, the New College of Florida, that it had to pack up and leave. Then, four days later, a valuable 1977 Porsche 911 Turbo (aka Type 930) was stolen from the museum in what appeared to be a well-organized heist.

Fortunately for the museum, which was informed it only had several weeks (until the end of June 2023) to clear out, was given an extension before its relocation.

And last month, the car, which belonged to a client of the museum, was recovered. A 36-year-old suspect in the theft of the Porsche, valued at $250,000, was arrested on July 21, according to WPEC/Channel 12 of West Palm Beach. The details are just now coming to light.

The suspect, consummate Florida man Daniel Boyce of Sarasota, was originally arrested for failing to appear for a grand theft auto charge, but now he also faces a felony charge of fraud after he registered the car—in Sarasota—using fraudulent documents.

Officers responded to a 3 a.m. burglary alarm in June at the Sarasota Classic Car Museum, but no employee could be reached, and the building was concluded to be secure. Several hours later, Sarasota Police Department officers were dispatched again and discovered pry marks on a door and an open chain-link fence, which was closed when officers first came to the museum.

Surveillance footage showed an unknown man on the property at the time of the burglary alarm in the early morning, said WPEC. A museum employee told SPD officers seven vehicles had to be moved to take the 1977 Porsche. Boyce allegedly used gasoline left at the car museum to start the car, and the keys were left on the drivers-side floorboard. The burglar drove off in the 930 and was last seen on surveillance video on North Tamiami Trail at 5:15 a.m.

Several days later, an anonymous tip received by the Sarasota Classic Car Museum told an employee Boyce was seen with a brown Porsche at a warehouse, the affidavit said. That museum employee then relayed the information to police.

After following several leads, police found that Boyce actually registered a 1976 brown Porsche under an LLC company called Triton Engineering on June 21. Police, in collaboration with a Sarasota County Tax Collector supervisor, found that Boyce provided a VIN number from a car involved in a 23-year-old crash and sold to a salvage yard in California, the affidavit said.

A Maine registration used in this process was also discovered to be fraudulent. The bill of sale, odometer verification letter, and a letter from Triton Engineering indicating Boyce was allowed to register the car with this company were all found to be fake as well. The letter, signed by a Christopher McGill, listed Boyce’s own cellphone number.

A search warrant of the suspect’s phone revealed a photo of a brown Porsche identical to the stolen 1977 Porsche 911 Turbo. Another photo showed a storage unit code and unit number. The car was found inside the storage unit.

The investigation continues, WPEC said, while Boyce awaits arraignment in September.

Meanwhile, the museum still has to move.

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