Paragould, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Five additional suspects are behind bars after an investigation revealed their involvement in a coordinated “lien washing” scheme orchestrated by the owner of a Paragould towing company.
Paragould Police Captain Jason Elms confirmed to JRN July 20 that Shawn Lenderman, Linda Cook, Charles Brown, Joshua Perez, and Kerry Wooldridge were arrested in connection with the investigation involving Prestige Towing.
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Lenderman, Cook, Perez, and Brown each face a class D felony charge of defrauding a secured creditor. They are also considered accomplices in the case. Meanwhile, Wooldridge faces a class C felony charge of theft of property.
The arrests come nearly a month after Heather Patterson, owner of Prestige Towing, was arrested when police said she orchestrated the scheme that involved nearly 90 incidents of falsified business records and the illegal sale of vehicles.
| READ MORE: Paragould Towing Owner Faces Over 140 Charges in Alleged Repossession Scheme
On June 23, detectives executed a search warrant at Prestige Towing, where they found business records and forensic evidence that indicated “lien washing” had occurred. Four vehicles were involved between the five suspects in question.
Vehicle #1 – 2019 Jeep Cherokee (Lenderman & Cook)
According to Lenderman and Cook’s affidavits, a 2019 Jeep Cherokee jointly owned by them was found to have a lien before Patterson submitted fraudulent paperwork to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA). The vehicle title was transferred to the two on April 2 with no lien attached.
Phone messages showed Lenderman relaying information about the vehicle to Patterson and asking if they were getting a new tag on it. Cook was also shown speaking about the high amount of debt they had and pictures of the lien company calling about the vehicle payment. Cook also asked Patterson about getting a new license plate so the lien company could not take away the vehicle while driving it.
Vehicle #2 – 2015 Ford F-150 (Perez)
Perez’s involvement in the case centers around a 2015 Ford F-150. The affidavit stated that during the June 23 search, a packet of fraudulent paperwork pertaining to the vehicle was found, including a fraudulent tow slip, a tow notification letter to Perez himself, and a Cash App transaction printout for $100 from Perez.
Phone messages showed that Perez sent Patterson the vehicle identification number (VIN) and informed her of the lien company, along with the vehicle’s mileage. Perez also paid Patterson to see how the new title paperwork process was going. Patterson informed Perez to avoid putting the new title in his name to avoid any issues.
Investigators with the DFA provided detectives with an email from the lien company referencing the F-150 and stating that they still had a financial interest in the vehicle, though the lien was removed by Prestige Towing.
During a Mirandized interview on July 14, Perez admitted that he was aware of the lien, the lien company’s intentions to repossess the vehicle, and that he paid to have Patterson obtain an abandoned title for the truck.
Vehicle #3 – 2016 Dodge Ram (Brown)
Brown’s role in the case involves a 2016 Dodge Ram. His affidavit states that the paperwork showed he had owned the vehicle since 2020 and had a lien on it. It also showed that the vehicle was fraudulently towed in November 2024 and fraudulent tow letters were sent to Brown.
A new title was found in the paperwork dated March 21, 2025, with Brown and Prestige Towing being listed as owners, clean of a lien. The DFA then sent detectives information from the lien company that stated they still had a financial interest in the vehicle.
During a Mirandized interview with detectives, Brown admitted to not being able to afford payments on the truck and left it at the towing company’s lot where it sat for two to three months. When the lien holder did not repossess the vehicle, Brown bought it from Prestige Towing for less than $5,000 at their auction.
The affidavit states Brown and Patterson live together and are in a relationship.
Vehicle #4 – 2019 Dodge Ram (Wooldridge)
Allegations of Wooldridge’s involvement in the case surround a 2019 Dodge Ram.
According to Wooldridge’s affidavit, the vehicle was up for repossession, and a discussion occurred about how he would drop the vehicle off at Prestige Towing’s lot. Among the topics were how many days they would charge the lien company and the total amount they would be looking to get paid out. Wooldridge mentioned getting Prestige Towing to double the number of days it was at the lot to 104 days instead of 52 days with an initial total of $5,895.
Detectives contacted the lien company, who provided documentation showing that they paid Prestige Towing $7,401.60 to get the vehicle. Correspondence between Wooldridge and Patterson reaffirmed this, as Patterson messaged Wooldridge, telling him that the vehicle was picked up by the lien company, and she had some money for him,
During a Mirandized interview with detectives, Wooldridge admitted to coordinating with Prestige Towing to falsify the tow of the vehicle and collect fees from the lien company. He went on to admit to collecting over $5,000 and gave the rest to Patterson.
Greene County District Judge Curtis Hitt gave the five suspects each a $25,000 cash/surety bond. Lenderman and Cook were both released from the Greene County Detention Center at 12:08 p.m. on July 20.
Meanwhile, Patterson faces 147 charges for her involvement in the investigation, including 89 counts of falsifying a business record. She is being held on a $100,000 cash/surety bond.
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