Oct 11, 2011, 1:20pm ET

FBI ducks $750,000 bill for wrecked Ferrari

A judge has ruled that the FBI is not financial responsible for the 2009 wreck of a Ferrari F50.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Justice Department have been exonerated of any financial responsibilities stemming from the 2009 wreck of an impounded Ferrari F50.



The ruling by U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn comes eight months after Motors Insurance Corp., the legal owner of the wrecked F50, sued the federal government for $750,000. The Ferrari F50 in question ended up crashed into a tree after FBI agent Fred Kingston took the supercar for "short ride."



Although the FBI refuses to release the details surrounding the crash - citing "federal exemptions" - it's fairly apparent that Kingston took the impounded Ferrari for a joyride and was overwhelmed by the car's extreme power. However, despite Kingston's clear negligence, the FBI can't be held responsible for the damages due to federal laws that grant immunity to property being held by law enforcement agents.



"The government's purpose in holding the vehicle was not to create a status of either consent or punitive coercion. ... Rather, the object was to control and preserve relevant evidence," Cohn said.



If we were grading, we'd give Kingston an 'F' on his ability to "control and preserve relevant evidence."



1.'Feds off the hook...' view

