Used Car News Former Addict Leaves Prison, Finds Success as Car Dealer

By Jeffrey Bellant

LAS VEGAS – Luke Lunkenheimer seems like a guy with an interesting story. He’s burly – like a bouncer at a high-end nightclub – and he sounds like he could be Vin Diesel’s brother.

The founder and owner of CNY Drives Inc., a dealership group in Syracuse, N.Y., has had a rollercoaster life that’s ripe for a Hollywood film.

But last month, he was just a car dealer standing in front of his peers at NIADA Accelerate, a dealer convention at the Wynn Las Vegas.

“I like to tell stories,” Lunkenheimer said. Not surprisingly, the first story he told took place inside a gym. The story involved a cocky guy he butted heads with and how it reminded him that “malfunctions of character” can get you in trouble. He used that run-in as inspiration.

“The cornerstone of any self-improvement is identifying there’s a problem in the first place,” he said.

Before his problems began, he was a high school football player in a graduating class of 82 in the small town of Cato, N.Y.

Lunkenheimer played for the Cato-Meridian Blue Devils as an “iron man” – both sides of the ball – quarterback on offense and free safety on defense.

He was sitting on a scholarship but things started to go south after he tore up his throwing shoulder in a game.

The injury cost him what was supposed to be an academic scholarship.

His whole life was football, but that one moment put his dream on hold. Initially, he took a year off after school and got into the car business, a business his grandfather and father had been part of.

Lunkenheimer’s plan was to earn some money to pay for shoulder surgery, bank some money for college and play football again.

Within three months, he was a top salesman. He got good insurance and eventually had his surgery. Despite big promises, the surgery failed to restore his shoulder.

“It was devastating,” he said. “I went to some very dark places.”

They couldn’t fix the shoulder, but they did provide him with narcotics for the pain -- hydrocodone.

“It is euphoric,” Lunkenheimer said. “I would leave people I love to find a place to get high.”

His addiction led to buying the drugs off the street and that led to buying other drugs.

“I did whatever I could to stay high,” Lunkenheimer said.

This went on for 10 years, with multiple stints in jail for everything from petty larceny to driving while intoxicated.

“I was a salesman making $100,000+ a year, and by Wednesday I was asking my friends if I could borrow some money,” Lunkenheimer said.

After a decade of “lying, cheating, stealing, burning bridges, hurting family and friends” Lunkenheimer decided to rob a bank.

His hope was to use the money to go to an exclusive rehab facility in Malibu and come back a new man.

He threw on a hoodie, sunglasses and bandanna – and robbed a bank.

“The amount of anticipation that builds before you knock over a bank is really quite incredible,” Lunkenheimer said. “It was one of the first times I understood natural high.”

Yelling at the tellers, he collected the money and headed for the door.

“I turned around and tripped over the red velvet rope at the door,” he said.

Eventually, he was caught, arrested and sentenced to two years in prison. Lunkenheimer said the judge showed mercy on him because of his drug addiction.

Eventually, Lunkenheimer received his N.Y. State Corrections DIN number: 14B1959

“That’s what you become, a number,” he said. “That’s it. That is all. You are nothing more.”

He ended up in the Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility, which is a place for men who are mostly drug and alcohol offenders who express a desire to reintegrate into society.

Lunkenheimer described it as a “paramilitary boot camp” with a drill sergeant “screaming at you, spitting on you, kicking your bed at two in the morning,” and “telling you you’re a maggot.”

But he was grateful that he went through it, even if it included horrific withdrawal.

Lunkenheimer eventually went back into the car business and within seven years, he has achieved success again.

The key is passion for what you do, he said, pointing to Michael Jordan, Warren Buffet, Elon Musk and Oprah Winfrey, who all extolled “passion” as a key to their success.

“It becomes easy when your job is not a job anymore,” he said. Finding a job that brings you passion is critical to meet your potential.

Lunkenheimer said when he started to treat people the right way and do the right things, doors started to open.

“A slight change in behavior can move the needle in a significant way in your life,” he said.

People who may be going through a personal struggle – whether physical, personal or relational – can see real change.

He said, “just treat people right and move throughout your day trying to be kind.”

He appreciates the little things now.

“Waking up in the morning to a sunrise, it’s very valuable,” Lunkenheimer said.

During his time in prison, he talked to a priest who urged him to make three good decisions, but he didn’t mean a list of rules.

The priest told him that when he has to make a decision, he should choose the hard one. The hard one will be uncomfortable, and maybe cost more in time and money.

“He said to me, ‘You do those good decisions, I promise you by the third one, you’re going to be blessed,’” Lunkenheimer said.

Doing things the right way and the hard way brought good things back to him. After following the priest’s advice, a few days after the third decision, he got an offer of investment in his car dealership. Lunkenheimer said he wants to show people they can change. It takes courage to change and there is no barrier to entry. It worked for Lunkenheimer.

“I’m at peace with myself, because I’ve been to hell and I’ve come back from it,” he said.