John Cohen, the NASCAR owner from Union, N.J., who made national headlines when his race car was stolen last month from a motel parking lot, is now facing a much different issue with law enforcement.

A bench warrant was issued for his arrest in Essex County for failing to comply with an order related to a settlement on a civil lawsuit, NJ Advance Media has learned. The settlement, reached in August 2014, required that Cohen immediately pay two former business partners $55,000 after a dispute over an investment in a Manhattan night club that fell apart.

Cohen, reached on his cell phone Thursday morning, denied any wrongdoing. "It's a story that's not true," he said. "I didn't make the settlement."

When asked specifically about the warrant, he replied, "That's not me. That's my father. That has nothing to do with me." He referred other questions to his lawyer, who could not be immediately reached. A NASCAR spokesman did not immediately have a response.

When Elliott Malone, a lawyer for the plaintiffs in the civil case, was told Cohen denied making the settlement and being named in the arrest warrant, he replied, "My response is one word: Typical."

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Cohen and his company, Team Xtreme Racing, made headlines when their $250,000 car was stolen in Hampton, Ga., following the Daytona 500.

It made for a feel-good story for the small-time NASCAR team, one of the few in the Sprint Cup series led by a minority owner, when the car was recovered undamaged 20 miles from where it was stolen. Tools, a car engine and other auto parts, valued at more than $100,000, were not recovered, police said. The story was picked up nationally, including a spot on Good Morning America.

But Malone, the lawyer for two of Cohen's former business partners, painted a much different picture of the man whose low-budget team competes weekly against superstars such as Jeff Gordon and Danica Patrick.

Malone said his clients, Anthony Santucci and Jeff Rezink, entered a business agreement with Cohen to open a night club in Manhattan that was contingent on Cohen securing a liquor license. The two men, Malone said, invested $85,000 that Cohen never used for the club and never returned.

UPDATE:

Cohen's own attorney contradicts his latest statements, court documents show

"He obviously just pocketed the money," Santucci said in a phone interview. "We believe he used the money to fund his NASCAR team.

"It completely crushed me," he said. "It was my first $50,000 I've saved. I still haven't really recovered. It completely wiped me out."

Cohen, according to court documents, is also facing a lawsuit involving the purchase of a racecar from Swan Racing in 2014. The suit alleges that Cohen used "unfair and deceptive trade practices" and is seeking $200,000 in damages.

Media reports on Cohen's three years as a NASCAR owner portray a great deal of instability — with multiple drivers, a change in the team name, and even a need to solicit potential sponsors through social media.

"I want to build the team to where I dream it," Cohen told the Sporting News last April. "I love racing. I have a full-time commitment to building a reputable Cup team and I'm not stopping until I'm done."

Despite a crash during qualifying, Cohen's No. 44 car finished in 32nd place at the Dayton 500 last month. It has not raced since. Cohen said he was not sure if he planned to race the car in the CampingWorld.com 500 in Phoenix this weekend.

Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook.