Wanted: Former Tennis Pro Roscoe Tanner
One of the world's best tennis players, Chattanooga native Roscoe Tanner, is once again a wanted man.
In the 1970's Tanner played at Wimbledon, won two Australian Opens and was ranked best college player while at Stanford University. In the late 1970's Tanner was ranked as the world's fourth best player, known for a blistering 140-mile-per-hour left handed serve.
Tanner has been in and out of jail during the last decade, while at other times hiding from the law. NewsChannel 9 has been keeping in touch with a private investigator while he has followed Tanner's trail across the country.
Records show The Baylor School graduate has been married several times and fathered several children, but has failed to pay some of them as he's been ordered to do once he leaves them.
"Mr. Tanner, I would say, is one of the most difficult people we have ever dealt with, just to comply with basic court orders," attorney Chris Townley said.
Townley represents one of Tanner's ex-wives, who he divorced and owes hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Tanner has been repeatedly scheduled to appear in Dade County court but he's been a consistent "no show." So Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Judge Brian House issued a final order of contempt recently.
Dade County Clerk of Courts Kathy Page said "it was ongoing cases here, it's contempt actions, a final order he pay his arrears."
Judge House wrote in his order "the respondent may purge himself of contempt by paying the sum of $750,886.23."
Because Tanner has repeatedly disobeyed court orders, Judge House wrote "...he shall serve an additional ten days in the county jail for criminal contempt."
Townley said "he's shown a pattern of not following the law, that somehow it appears he is above the law, in his mind, not doing what the law requires and a result his life could have been so much better if he just would follow the rules that all the rest of us do."
Records show Tanner has been living a life on the run after being charged with crimes related to financial transactions in Knoxville, Florida and California. He's been arrested when investigators find out where he is hiding.
Once he's caught again he will have to pay that $750,866.23 he owes his second ex-wife before he will be able to get out of jail.
"It is our intent that we are going to continue to pursue him until he pays," Townley said.
The private investigator and Townley say Tanner still has family and friends in the Chattanooga area and is known to sneak into the area on occasion. The investigator said Tanner is living on cash payments for private tennis lessons while hiding millions in assets.
If you know where Roscoe Tanner is call the Dade County, Georgia Sheriff's Office.
