I can almost hear Sheriff Buford T. Justice himself patting themselves on the back as he stared at the all-black monster sitting in the parking lot wearing plates. “Got yer ass now, you som’bitch,” he’d drawl quietly to himself as he envisioned that Bandit’s last ride. Surely, even in this day and age, there was nothing that law-breaking mother could have that was going to trump 707 horsepower of supercharged Mopar. His Trans Am had been cute, but this time around the moon was going to have a new item in orbit: one sheriff kicking one trucker square in the backside from here to eternity.

And that’s when the U.S. Department of Justice got wind of a slight issue involving the purchase of a new undercover car.

I could write a comedy skit for hours on what went down, but here’s the story: Down in Georgia, Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway made a call and purchased a 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat in all-black. Officially, the car has two uses: undercover/covert operations and as part of the Gwinnett County “Beat The Heat” anti-street racing program. We can understand that last item, except for one thing: rarely does a Beat The Heat car come out of public funds, and it isn’t like the Gwinnett County program is hurting for hot rides. The program already has a 1996 Impala SS, a 1990 Corvette and a 2004 VW Jetta GLI in the wings there. So, how again is a $70,000 super-sedan an appropriate purchase via taxpayer funds?

According to the Sheriff’s office, Conway is using the car to commute, when he participates in field operations with deputies, and…and this part I’m quoting: “Conway maintains that this vehicle is an appropriate purchase, especially for an agency with a $92 million budget and the opportunity this vehicle provides in making our roadways safer.”

The Department of Justice wants their money back by July 31st. The county intends to pay them back.

(Courtesy: Autoblog)