Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Nashville Bike Week: Organizer Arrested In Kentucky

Nashville Bike Week Organizer arrested on warrants covering 4 States

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (June 6, 2017) — Deputies from multiple Tennessee agencies arrested Nashville Bike Week's organizer on Monday on multiple warrants.

According to the Humphreys County Sheriff's Office, deputies arrested Mike Axle in Bowling Green, Ky., at the Country Hearth Hotel just down the street from the National Corvette Museum.

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The Warren County Sheriff's Office said it received a tip that Michael Lewis Axle, also known as Michael Lewis Leffingwell and Christopher Ashley, was at the hotel.

Michael Lewis Leffingwell AKA Michael Lewis Axel handcuffed and searched

He was arrested with active warrants in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Missouri with charges including probation violation, failure to appear and larceny. The WCSO said other charges may be forthcoming.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) said Axle is also known by the name Michael Leffingwell. That name has an existing perjury charge in Sumner County and a felony theft conviction in Nashville for a business called 'Got Concrete.'

The BBB put Nashville Bike Week on its misleading advertising list and claims the event responded to questions about complaints with expletives.

Nashville Bike Week has faced a series of setbacks since the event's announcement in 2015. The event is set to take place this fall from September 14-24.

In March, its former venue, Loretta Lynn's Ranch, took NBW off its calendar. The ranch said NBW “failed to meet the financial terms of the agreement.”

Shortly after, the Tennessee Department of Health ordered Axle to stop selling tickets to the event. Axle told Fox 17 in a previous interview that his attorney advised him that he hadn't sold enough tickets to be ordered to stop.

Last week, the group announced it signed a contract to host the event at Opryland in Davidson County. Within two days, NBW said Opryland will no longer be hosting the event.