WILSONVILLE, Ore. - The owner of a boat dealership that went under over the weekend, leaving customers in a lurch, appears to be living quite the lifestyle and police are now trying to figure out whether a crime has been committed or his business simply became a victim of bad economic times.

We went to Gunther Thoma's million dollar Lake Oswego estate looking for answers after his business, Bridge City Watersports, closed up shop suddenly over the weekend, leaving customers high and dry.

Thoma wasn't home when we dropped by - he wasn't hitting balls in his tennis court, lounging next to his pool or sitting behind the wheel of his $183,000 Mercedes Benz.  And he wasn't at his $400,000 condo at Government Camp.

Thoma has also not been at his business, Bridge City Watersports, where customers have been trying to get the boats they bought back but security guards have been holding them off, saying Thoma never paid the bank and the boats still belong to Bank of America.

Police are now investigating whether this was a crime or an economic meltdown.

"That's what we're trying to contend with as investigators - following that paper trail to see if there were any criminal activities that would warrant the sheriff office's attention," said Jim Strovink with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department.

So far, at least 25 people have contacted police and the Marine Board saying they bought boats from Bridge City Watersports only to have them taken back by the bank. Many customers have not only lost the new boats they bought but also boats they traded in, which were sold by Thoma.

A spokesperson for the Marine Board said the agency revoked Thoma's license to register boats in Oregon after he failed to make fee payments and file paperwork with the state.