Deanna Duggar and Derick Dillard Both Recall Lies They Were Told About the Josh Duggar Car Lot Raid
The Duggar family might have spent decades sharing their lives on TV, but there was a lot the family kept secret. The 2019 raid on Josh Duggar’s car lot, which eventually led to his arrest and conviction on child pornography charges, was one of those big secrets. In the Amazon docuseries, Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, two fringe family members revealed the lies they were told about the raid. Derick Dillard said his brother-in-law denied everything. Deanna Duggar said her brother, Jim Bob Duggar, insisted that federal agents were interested in an “ex-con” who worked for the family. The same defense was used at Josh’s trial.
Derick Dillard said Josh Duggar denied all knowledge of a raid
Derick Dillard and his wife, Jill Dillard, are entirely estranged from Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. The duo has limited relationships with the rest of the Duggar kids, too, it would seem. Still, in 2019, they were involved enough to ask questions about the rumored raid.
Derick Dillard, now a lawyer in Oklahoma, sat down for an interview for Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets and discussed what happened in November 2019. He revealed that he reached out to Josh Duggar via text to ask about the rumors. Dillard said his brother-in-law denied that a raid had occurred and that he was not wrapped up in anything serious. That was, obviously, a lie.
Deanna Duggar said her brother lied to her about the raid
While Josh Duggar was busy insisting nothing happened at his car lot to Derick Dillard, Jim Bob Duggar was spinning a different tale to his sister. Deanna Duggar, Jim Bob’s only sibling, recounted what happened after the raid from her perspective. During her bombshell interview in Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, Deanna said her brother did not deny the raid.
Instead, he said that federal investigators were at the lot for an “ex-con” who worked briefly at the establishment. While Deanna didn’t name any names, Josh Duggar’s defense team spent much of the trial arguing that someone other than Josh Duggar had downloaded the illegal images to the computer found at the lot. Caleb Williams, a former family friend, was mentioned more than once.
Williams, who was spotted with the Duggar family multiple times over the years, served 62 days in jail for aggravated criminal sexual assault. He is required to register as a sex offender. Williams insists he was not working at the lot when the illegal images were downloaded.
Josh Duggar was convicted of receiving and possessing child pornography in 2021
In November 2019, federal agents were spotted at a car lot owned and operated by Josh Duggar. The agents were at the lot for several hours. Initially, reports stated that the FBI had been at the location. Later, a spokesman told Radar Online that they had no open investigations at the location. Later, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that their field agents had been at the used car lot.
It took more than a year for Duggar family followers to get more information about the investigation. In April 2021, federal marshals arrested Josh Duggar just a week after he and his wife confirmed their seventh pregnancy. Josh was arraigned on multiple child pornography charges, then released under the supervision of a court-appointed chaperone to await trial. In November 2021, his trial began.
Josh Duggar’s defense team attempted to argue that Caleb Williams, a sex offender who worked at the car lot, was responsible for the downloads. Williams has maintained his innocence since. In early December 2021, Josh Duggar was found guilty of receiving and possessing child pornography. A federal judge sentenced Jim Bob and Michelle’s eldest son to more than a decade behind bars in May 2022. He was transferred to a federal prison in Texas the following month.
