Charges of felony theft against former Chattanooga pro tennis star Roscoe Tanner were dismissed in Knoxville today after authorities said he had made restitution to Toyota of Knoxville.
Tanner, whose storied career included winning the 1977 Australian Open and being a finalist at Wimbledon in 1979, had been arrested on May 18 and charged with theft over $60,000.
According to the Knox County Sheriff’s Department, Tanner had written bad checks on two occasions for slightly more than $72,000 to Toyota of Knoxville for two Toyota sport utility vehicles he had purchased.
Tanner did not appear in Knox County General Sessions Court, but his attorney, Scott Green of Knoxville, said after the announcement that the charges were dismissed after Tanner paid $5,000 to Toyota of Knoxville. The money was to cover the amount that the vehicles had declined in value in the several weeks he owned them, Green said.
Both vehicles were later recovered – one in Knoxville where Tanner now lives and one in Chattanooga – and have since been resold by Toyota of Knoxville, Green said.
Attorney Green added that Toyota of Knoxville was very reasonable with which to work.
He also said that Tanner is glad to have the situation resolved.
“He is very remorseful that all this has happened,” he said. “He is happy to have all this behind him.”
Tanner, a Baylor School graduate and son of the late prominent attorney Leonard Tanner, has faced other legal problems and jail time in recent years related to his failure to pay child support and loan defaults.
"Roscoe is surviving," attorney Green added. "He is a survivor."
Jcshearer2@comcast.net