After cars kept disappearing from an auto shop near Anna, the Collin County Sheriff’s Office determined that the thief was none other than the mechanic himself.
Deputies arrested Anna-area mechanic Brian Holgate and an associate, Calvin McGowen, for allegedly running an auto theft and chop shop operation. The thefts reportedly caused around $250,000 in losses.
Holgate faces two charges of theft of property worth more than $2,500 but less than $30,000, and two charges of theft of property worth more than $30,000 but less than $150,000, according to Collin County Jail records. He is also charged with driving with an invalid license, and is held at the Collin County Jail with a total bond of $110,00
McGowen faces two charges of engaging in organized criminal activity. He is being held on a total bond of $35,000.
Investigators began receiving reports about vehicle thefts from Holgate’s mechanic shop outside Anna in August 2024, according to a press release. They began noticing a pattern in which Holgate reported stolen vehicles.
“When investigators contacted the registered owners, discrepancies surfaced, raising suspicion that Holgate had been taking customers’ vehicles without permission, stripping them for parts or selling them, and then falsely reporting them as stolen,” the release reads.
Investigators identified a second suspect, McGowen, in June 2025. He was “connected to Holgate,” and law enforcement believed he was involved in additional thefts targeting storage facilities across Collin County. Both men are residents of McKinney.
According to jail records, Collin County deputies arrested McGowen on October 23 and Holgate on November 12.
Deputies executed search warrants at locations connected to the suspects, finding evidence linking them to thefts from the storage facility in Collin County and other cases in nearby Grayson County.
“This remains an active and ongoing investigation,” the release reads. “We are continuing to work with surrounding jurisdictions to identify additional victims and uncover related criminal activity.”
The sheriff’s office encouraged anyone with information to contact Investigator Tristan Varvil at 972-547-5100 or at [email protected].
Holgate has been the subject of numerous evictions and small-claims court lawsuits in the past, and has a previous charge for driving with a suspended or invalid license, according to court records. McGowen has similarly faced evictions and small claims lawsuits in the past, as well as a previous charge for assault with a deadly weapon.
In nearby Dallas County, officers with the Dallas Police Department recently busted a massive cargo theft ring at an auto shop, arresting five suspects and recovering nearly $1 million in stolen goods, as The Dallas Express reported earlier in November. In 2024, officers with the Fort Worth Police Department recovered more than a dozen stolen vehicles from a massive chop shop hidden in a residential neighborhood.