[BigBoyBlue]

Sounds like a case for Judge Judy. She'd attack the employee who took the car like a badger.
It's a long shot, but I think her producers would want the case.

The show pays each party around $10k to be on the show. The loser then gets the judgment taken out of their end. The loser doesn't have to pay the judgment, he just gets a smaller check for appearing on the show.

I only mention this because if the OP has to sue the employee (who he said lives in a trailer park and is now unemployed) he'll never collect. You can't get blood from a stone. The employee might even agree to be on the show, as he won't have an open judgment against him.

Judge Judy makes me laugh whenever I see her attack morons.