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Kaitlyn Alanis

Fri, February 25, 2022, 2:36 PM

The man accused of stealing a rare car worth millions from a Wisconsin business 21 years ago — and then fleeing after he was placed on house arrest in Italy — has been arrested again, officials say.

Christopher C. Gardner was arrested on Dec. 17 in Switzerland, and he’s still on the FBI’s “most wanted” list for white collar crimes pending more information regarding his extradition to the U.S., according to a Feb. 24 statement from the FBI Milwaukee Division.

Gardner, a U.S. citizen and a permanent resident of Switzerland for 20 years, was placed on the “most wanted” list after he was believed to have burglarized a business in Milwaukee and stole a 1938 Talbot Lago T150C-SS “Teardrop” Coupe in March 2001. The rare car is one of only about 16 that were ever made, according to the FBI.

Five years later, in 2006, authorities say he shipped the car to France to have it restored. In 2015, the FBI says Gardner sold the car to a U.S. buyer for $7.6 million.

The man was federally indicted on four counts of wire fraud and one count of transportation of a stolen motor vehicle in foreign commerce in May 2019, according to the FBI.

He was arrested in June 2021 while he was in Italy, officials say, and placed on house arrest. Officials say he escaped in November.

Now that Gardner has been arrested again, an FBI spokesperson said the Milwaukee Division is “waiting to determine the details of the arrests, detention status, and status of his extradition and extradition process.”

“Until that information is known he will remain as wanted by the FBI,” the spokesperson said.