Hunter
11/30/21
A Hills man faces possible decades in prison after authorities discovered he was rolling back odometers on vehicles before selling them at inflated prices.
According to the criminal complaints, 35-year-old Marshall Miller of North 3rd Street started the reported fraudulent activities on January 25th of this year. On fourteen occasions between then and August 11th, Miller would purchase vehicles from private parties while employed at the Elite Autoworx dealership on Highway 965 in North Liberty. He would then either sell them on the lot or at auction after rolling the odometers back by several thousand miles. Police reports show the amount of mileage rolled back ranged from 54,665 miles on a vehicle that originally had 187,996 miles, to 188,306 miles on a vehicle that originally had 247,000 miles.
Using NADA car guides on resale prices based on mileage, the vehicles’ value were inflated between $750 and $2425.
Miller was arrested Monday and faces 10 counts of 2nd Degree Fraudulent Practice, 3 counts of 3rd Degree Fraudulent Practice, and one count of 4th degree Fraudulent Practice. If convicted on all charges, Miller faces a maximum sentence of 57 years in prison.
The Gazette reported in December 2010 that Miller, who was then 24 years old, was accused of theft, forgery, insurance fraud, and malicious prosecution for incidents that allegedly took place in 2008. In October of that year, Miller was working as a sub-contractor at the then Dolphin Lake Point Enclave on Highway 6 East, when he allegedly stole a John Deere skid loader, taking it to his parent’s house and telling them it was the same machine that had been seized from him by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in March of that year. His parents obtained insurance on the skid loader. The actual owner was able to get the machine back from Miller, who then allegedly reported it stolen to Iowa City Police.
The newspaper also reports Miller allegedly took a vehicle that was shown for sale at the Coralville Walmart and sold it to another person after having new keys made for the car.
Miller also was convicted of 3rd degree Sexual Abuse in April 2011 after allegedly committing a sex act with a 15-year-old in 2008 when he was 21. He is currently listed on the state Sex Offender Registry.