YouTube star WhistlinDiesel has broken down his recent tax evasion arrest in a new video, claiming the case is about sales tax on a Ferrari that was registered in Montana and later destroyed in a fire.
Cody Detwiler insists he has “always paid” his taxes and says he received no notice before officers arrived at his Tennessee property to arrest him. Detwiler was taken into custody in Williamson County, Tennessee on November 12 after a state indictment accused him and his company, WhistlinDiesel LLC, of evading Tennessee sales tax on a 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo by registering the car in Montana instead of his home state.
Multiple outlets report he faces two felony counts and that the tax bill could be in the tens of thousands of dollars, with public records summarizing the alleged shortfall at around $28,000. He was booked into Williamson County Jail and released the same day after posting bond.
Whistlindiesel offers “tax evasion” case update
In the video titled “I Got Arrested for ‘Tax Evasion,’” Detwiler walks viewers through the arrest footage, showing several officers walking down his driveway before placing him in handcuffs. He says he initially thought it was a prank until they produced paperwork for tax evasion and explains he had “zero clue” what the warrant referred to.
Detwiler tells viewers he had not received a letter, text, or email about any outstanding tax bill and says he only learned details of the case days later.
Detwiler says bond was set at $20,000 and criticizes viral posts that cited a $2,000,000 figure without context. He recounts spending a few hours in jail before being released, describing being put in his own cell and joking that the conditions were not as bad as he expected. He also notes that some staff at the jail recognized him from his videos.
Says case centers on Ferrari that burned in Texas
According to Detwiler, the case is specifically about sales tax on a roughly $400,000 Ferrari F8 that was titled to a Montana business and later burned in Texas during a stunt video.
He says Tennessee would have charged around $30,000 in sales tax on the car and argues that using a Montana entity to hold vehicles is a common and legal practice among luxury car owners.
Detwiler claims Tennessee authorities never contacted him to request payment before seeking an indictment. He argues that a letter asking for sales tax would have been “the simplest, fastest thing” and says he has always kept up with both federal and state tax obligations through his accountant.
He also tells viewers his legal team is asking the state to clarify how much time a Montana-registered vehicle must spend in Tennessee before state sales tax is due.
The creator also suggests he is being targeted to send a message to other high-end car owners who use Montana registrations, saying he believes officials want to scare people into re-registering vehicles in their home states and paying sales tax there. He adds that he is in the process of buying property in Montana and plans to base his business there going forward.
Detwiler says his next court date is in January and predicts the case could stretch on for years, comparing it to a previous legal battle over a jet ski incident. He says he will not publicly discuss legal strategy but promises to keep viewers updated as the case progresses.
