Veterans out $11,500; purchased a stolen HMMWV

Hi, my name is Tim and I am the brother of a Decorated US Army Combat Veteran, Dirk Burkett. Dirk is known for doing anything and everything for people in difficult situations and would give his shirt off his back to help someone in need, and never asks for anything in return. I have taken it upon myself to start this GoFundMe to attempt to help not only him but his group of Army brothers to regain the money that was "stolen" from them.

Dirk and 3 other Army Veterans collectively purchased a Desert Storm Era HMMWV (Humvee) to restore the Vehicle and use it to connect to their time in the United States Army and their involvement in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Dirk spearheaded the Operation, looking through various platforms to find an affordable HMMWV, and found exactly that on Facebook Marketplace. After speaking with the owner at the time, Dirk purchased the vehicle and all seemed like the stars had aligned for the group to finally fulfill the dreams they had of reconnecting with their roots.

Veteran out 11000 after purchasing stolen HMMWV

Veteran buys a Desert Storm Humvee he's out 10K

The dilemma began when Dirk attempted to gain a title for the Vehicle at the Michigan Secretary of State. It was discovered that a title could not be issued because the vehicle was flagged as possibly being Stolen. Dirk contacted the Michigan State Police (MSP), who after a search and brief investigation discovered that the HMMWV was stolen. At that time, Dirk contacted the owner he had purchased it from and voiced the recently discovered dilemma. It was then made clear the seller would not be doing anything to repay Dirk as he would be out the money he had purchased the vehicle with. The MSP investigator later informed Dirk that the vehicle had changed hands at least 2 times since it was stolen, and they would be taking possession of it pending the investigation, and ultimately it would be returned to the Owner it was stolen from.

This left Dirk and the group of Veterans out a significant amount of money that has impacted their lives even to this day. I am seeking to help my brother and this group of individuals to help generate at least a portion of the money, as they have given so much to our Nation and only wanted to rekindle the experiences that they bonded over.

Any help is appreciated, thank you for viewing their story.