this is "nightline." >> tonight. >> here we go. >> the engine runs. it looks brand-new. but beneath that shiny body is a dangerous secret. our undercover investigation into the world of flood cars. damaged by superstorm sandy. and meant to be trashed. so, why is this guy trying to sell us one? >> it's good. >> and what happened to him when investigators came looking. >> how are you? plus, money ball. the stars are out at the u.s. open, where high-rollers feast on food, fashion and fierce competition. with millions at stake, the real game is behind the scenes.

we've got an all-access pass to the glamorous side of tennis. and most-wanted. member the mystery man miley cyrus brought to the vmas. >> my name is jesse. >> turns out, there's a reason he wanted to be mysterious. wait until you hear what it is. first, "the nightline 5." >> i'm making extra cash as a laboratory test subject. >> i'm fine with that. any side-effects. >> when your life is this comfortable, you'll be comfortable with anything. experience icomfort. >> sweet mother of softness. charmin. >> you'll love what you see. not only can you lose less. but you can see the softness in our comfort cushions. >> we all go. why not enjoy the go. >> number one, in just 60

good evening. and tonight, a "nightline" investigation that will take whatever wrn concerns you have about questionable car dealers and put them on steroids. this goes beyond selling you tinted windows or high-priced speakers you may or may not need. this dealer is selling blatant and lethal lies. we've been following the story of flood cars for months now. and tonight, abc's gio benitez has the latest twist. >> you take cash? some places don't take cash anymore. >> reporter: that's $20,000 in the trembling hands of a "nightline" producer named erin. the guy in the ac/dc t-shirt, grinning while accepting that cash. that's a used car salesman named jack douek. he's clearly a confident guy. but if he only knew how this transaction could change his

life after we catch him putting a potentially dangerous truck back on the road. >> go. >> i have no idea what he told me. >> reporter: we should probably start at the beginning. when superstorm sandy hit the northeast. nearly 300 people lost their lives. thousands more lost their homes. and then, there were the cars. an estimated 250,000 of them submerged for days in corrosive salt water. for months, following the storm, many were parked at this abandoned airport on long island. look at them all. and each one, a potential highway hazard. salt water flood cars are a special kind of wreck. >> flood cars rot from the inside-out. days, weeks, months down the road, parts are going to fail. >> reporter: that makes it a bit worrisome, when you see runways full of flood cars now vacant. the obvious question is, where did they all go? the answer has a lot to do with looks.

>> that's probably atlantic ocean. >> reporter: as the folks at the used car tracking service carfax showed, they look even better after a five-hour makeover. they estimate that over 100,000 sandy-battered cars ended up back on the road. not just around jersey. but across america. >> we see the mercedes on-lot right there. >> reporter: here's one in omaha. and another in st. louis. >> kind of an old-fashioned notion that they traded it in locally, right? >> reporter: and even a land-locked lawman in iowa is on the lookout for hurricane wreckage, passed off as pure. >> even though hurricane sandy happened, what? 1,200 miles away, these cars are shipped all over the place. >> reporter: to get a closer look, our producer, jerry, tracked down a flood car through a v.i.n. number. and wearing hidden cameras, chased it down at d&d auto sales at old bridge, new jersey. >> i spoke to somebody about a track. >> i'm jack. >> reporter: that's jack.

remember the guy in the ac/dc t-shirt? >> it's a beautiful looking truck. >> it's so big. >> what can you tell me about this truck? >> the engine runs good. >> reporter: what jack doesn't know is we know a lot more about this ford f350 than he does. we know that it was owned by a guy named mike kennedy. >> yeah. >> reporter: we know that mike's kids loved that truck so much, they named it spirit. when sandy hit, the kennedys watched sea water swallow their point pleasant, new jersey, neighborhood. and with it, spirit. >> she was under water for two days. >> reporter: mike, submitted a claim to his insurance company, which declared spirit a total loss. and sent him a check for $32,000. it is the insurer's responsibility to brand the title forever. marking it as a salvage vehicle, and knocking serious money off its value. but somehow spirit made it through the auction and on to

d&d's lot, with a price tag of nearly $20,000. but jack, he has nothing but praise for spirit. >> there's leather in here. >> reporter: until the truck won't start. >> the battery is dead. you don't run them every day, the batteries die out. >> right. can they take it to a mechanic? >> you can bring your mechanic here. we have a lift. but our insurance won't allow it to go anywhere. >> how about i bring the mechanic here. we take a look at it. >> sure. you can do that. >> reporter: the next day, jack doesn't seem so eager to sell spirit anymore, citing a red flag that comes up on carfax, the used car tracking service. >> our carfax is showing that the vehicle has been in a flood. i told my boss. and i don't know if you want to keep it or you want to return it to the auction. you know what i mean? i want to be honest with you guy, and let you know. >> oh. >> yeah. >> reporter: now, jack is

refusing to sell spirit to jerry because it's a known flood vehicle. maybe he didn't like all that talk about a mechanic coming by. but the next day, what do you know? spirit is still forsale at d&d. so, we need a new buyer. someone with 20 large in cash and no tough questions. someone with hidden cameras in her glasses and her water bottle. someone like erin, our producer with a shaky hand. just to make things interesting. we send spirit's former owner along for the ride. >> there she is. >> how are you doing? >> i want to buy a truck. i want a big truck. >> reporter: and even though jack refused to sell this potentially dangerous truck just a few days earlier, erin is quickly behind the wheel of spirit. >> if i can walk away, giving you 20 for everything -- >> you want to take it now? >> i want to take it now. >> okay.

>> she's excited. >> okay. >> reporter: she hands over the 20 large and signs the printed agreement. and now that erin owns the truck, jack finally brings up the vehicle history. >> everything is clean on this one. title is clean. >> the only thing on the carfax is weird. >> reporter: not just weird. it clearly states that spirit was in a flood and was declared a total loss. >> it was a flood or something. it's a glitch or mistake. i'm going to check it. >> you think that's a flood -- >> yeah. it's not. everything is clean on it. the title is clean. >> okay. >> reporter: as erin signs the slew of documents that come with buying a car, notice how jack casually mentions the salvage agreement. now, this is a document that says the buyer understands that the truck is a flood vehicle. but he makes it seem like it's just a formality. >> and it's a what? sorry. >> they salvage agreement. basically for vehicles, when they salvage or something, we

just have it on file, in case it was. you know what i mean? >> okay. >> you're all set. >> hey. >> thanks very much. >> okay. >> here we go. >> reporter: mike takes spirit home for a family reunion, where he notices a few obvious signs of watery history. >> i had tools in the glove box. and the tools are still here. they're no longer functional tools because they're rusted shut. that water was up to here. the front seats don't work. i can't imagine what else doesn't work in here. >> reporter: these guys will. they are jerry shore mechanics. and they know a flood vehicle when they see one. >> that's water-driven. there's no doubt about that. that's, like, fine silt. oh, my god. this thing might catch fire. if an air bag blows up on you, you could crash.

>> would you put your family in here? >> not in a million years. >> i wouldn't drive this truck out of here. >> one frank. sam, unicorn. >> reporter: no one else will have to drive a flood car out of d&d auto, either. since our investigation initially aired, the new jersey motor vehicle commission and attorney general's office conducted their own investigation into d&d auto sales. this week, jonathan olin, the operator of d&d pled guilty to selling seven flood cars. and will face three years in state prison. jack douek, that salesman who let erin drive away in spirit, he faces three pending charges, including conspiracy to commit theft by deception. we reached out to jack for comment. but he hasn't called us back. and the new jersey attorney general revealed a motor vehicle agency employee was creating the false clean titles for those flood cars. she pled guilty and faces up to a year in county jail. for "nightline," i'm gio benitez, in new york.

coming up here on "nightline," the glitzy, over-the-topside of tennis most of us never get a chance to see. from celebrities, to pop-up restaurants by namous chefs. to stylists just for the players. we take you behind the scenes at the u.s. open. tigers, both of you. tigers? don't be modest. i see how you've been investing. setting long term goals. diversifying. dip! you got our attention. we did? of course. you're type e* well, i have been researching retirement strategies. well that's what type e*s do. welcome home. taking control of your retirement? e*trade gives you the tools and resources to get it right. are you type e*? dunk,eady to crack, dip... it's crabfest at red lobster! the year's largest variety of crab! like new! crab lover's trio! or try new! jumbo lump crab over wood-grilled salmon. crabfest is now...

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all right. quick. what's the most lucrative sporting event in america? you're probably thinking that's easy. it's the super bowl. turns out, it's actually the u.s. open. the tennis tournament taking place in new york city right

now. most of us would never get a chance to see what goes on behind the scenes of this event. the celebrities, the food, the personal stylists just for the players. tonight, abc's rebecca jarvis has your all-access pass. >> reporter: call it hollywood sports. where glitz and glam meet serves and sweat. you'll find justin timberlake, jessica alba, and bradley cooper, packing the stands, cheering on the best of the best. it's the u.s. open, which starts this week. and it's the most lucrative sporting event in america. >> yeah. >> reporter: this might be the sports world's most glamorous event. >> might be, yeah. >> reporter: that's roger federer. five-time u.s. open champ. he's made $56 million in just the last year. >> prize money has gone up. >> reporter: $3 million. >> right. exactly. >> reporter: and it's no wonder the stakes are so high. in 2013, the open brought $720 million to the new york economy.

and more than 700,000 fans atte attended. that's almost nine-times as many as the super bowl this year. the reason, stars like maria sharapova. we're behind the scenes with united states tennis association, just days before the competition. you are the highest-paid female athlete in the world. did you know that? >> i didn't think other people had, you know, my bank information. >> reporter: with her supermodel looks and killer strokes -- sharapova, who sailed through her opening round, has been number one on "forbes'" list of top-paid female athletes for ten years in a row. what is the prize winnings for the champion of the u.s. open? >> is it $2 million? >> reporter: wow. you're short by $1 million. it's $3 million. >> you see. i don't even know. >> reporter: what's another million when you wrack up $24 million a year? sharapova's success on the court has catapulted her into a

fashion icon and businesswoman. she even sketched her own nike dress for the open. >> i like seeing something come alive from nothing, whether it's an idea or an object. >> reporter: obvious, there is american superstar, serena williams. she raked in $22 million last year, thanks to big brand endorsements and her own clothing line. the other important business going on offcourt, beauty. this is where the players do the real prep for the u.s. open. >> correct. >> reporter: here, behind the scenes in their very own salon, with stylest to the stars, julian ferrell, the players get their game face on. when it comes to beauty, there's no detail too small. you did your nails. >> the nails, too. >> reporter: the top players stop by and get glammed up. let's talk about the glamour of this. it's not just about playing tennis. >> it's about looking good.

>> reporter: while you're playing tennis. >> they have to look great. hair, you know, clothes, makeup. everything has to work. >> it's all part of the brand. >> who doesn't want to look great? >> reporter: sometimes, he even doubles as a lucky charm. he cut rafael nadal's hair before he won the open. >> two days ago, i got andy murray, for the first time. and i say, what is so particular with your haircut? you may win the tournament. >> reporter: beautiful and strong bodies are essential. this is where you look up the nutritional info. >> this is our nutrition kiosk. >> reporter: some players eat 5,000 calories a day to stay fueled. and for the fans, their dining hall is gourmet, too. restaurants by some of the top chefs are part of the draw. after all, the average salary of a tennis fan is $150,000. football fans, they bring home $56,000 less.

is that why you're here? for the tennis? >> for the food, mainly. >> reporter: top-seeded culinary stars like david burke, are cooking up their own kind of love. ready? >> beef. >> reporter: this is what we love. for 125 bucks you can pass the time between matches with a three-pound porterhouse steak. how many of these are you going to create over the next 15 days for the u.s. open? >> i don't know. about 1,500. >> reporter: 1,500. >> this is the filet mignon. you should try that. we didn't put any salt on it. only what you did. >> reporter: very good. that is a delicious steak. hey. how are you? celebrity chefs in the house. celebrity chef muirmoto, who is providing sushi. how exciting -- and he takes a little something for the road. for the people who think all of the stars are out on the courts, there's actually a lot of them right here in the kitchen.

then, there's burke's bacon on a clothesline. it's so clever. can i? >> go ahead. >> reporter: that is really good. if you're really rich or really lucky, you can get a ticket to a private suite. so, here it is. and you never know who you will run into. what are you looking forward to? >> i do love popcorn. it's my favorite. it's a very magical food. >> what is so magical about it? >> it pops. it explodes. and then, you get to chew on it. it's fantastic. >> reporter: i think the bottom line here is, you don't have to be about tennis to enjoy the u.s. open. >> no. >> no. not at all. i'm enjoying myself right now. and i have no idea what the u.s. open is. >> reporter: the u.s. open is the place to eat like a king. st stargaze. and maybe see tennis great roger federer advance to the next round. for "nightline," rebecca jarvis, abc news, new york.

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whether it was a publicity stunt or a well-intentioned charitable gesture, miley cyrus' bold gambit at sunday's vmas seems to be going pear-shaped. she had to defend the young man she sent to the podium to accept the award, as a secret from his pasti came to light.

miley cyrus is not one to shy away from scandal. but she might have not seen this one coming. >> my name is jesse. >> reporter: she took 22-year-old jesse helt as her date to the vmas on sunday. but it seems the queen of controversy cannot escape it. turns out her mystery man is a wanted man. we learned, today, that helt pled guilty to an attempted break-in, during a drug-related incident in the state of oregon in 2010. and failed to obey probation. miley connected with helt in a charity for homeless youth. she got him a suit, a hotel room and a moment in the spotlight to bring attention to the problem. miley leapt to his defense on twitter. saying people who are homeless have lived very hard lives. jesse included. the officials told us now he's safe, as long as he stays out of oregon. >> thank you so much for your

time. >> reporter: when we reached his mom for comment, just hours ago, she said, quote, it's going to be taken care of. unclear what that means exactly. say what you will, however, about this whole dust-up. but miley and jesse have raised more than $200,000 for the cause. thanks for watching "nightline" tonight. tune into "gma" first thing in the morning. we're always online 24/7, on abcnews.com. thanks for watching. good night. if there is anyone here who knows any reason why these two people should not be joined in holy matrimony, let them speak now, or fever hold their peace.

we will begin this morning... marie: excuse me. i need to say something. ♪ jungle love ♪ it's drivin' me mad ♪ it's makin' me crazy, crazy ♪ jungle love ♪ it's drivin' me mad ♪ it's makin' me cry, crazy ♪ jungle love ♪ it's drivin' me mad ♪ it's makin' me crazy, crazy ♪ jungle love ♪ it's drivin' mead ♪ it's makin' me crazy to rlet's compare an entireain, tub of oxiclean to just half a cup of clorox bleach. okay... huh... how is that called clean? clorox.