More victims have come forward after the Tennessee Highway Patrol announced the arrest of a Murfreesboro man on charges that he sold cars after rolling back their odometers. Changing a car’s mileage amounts to felony fraud.
It’s pretty common for investigators to check on odometers at junkyards and used car lots. But the highway patrol hadn’t busted anyone for Craigslist sales
before, says Lt. Bill Miller.
“It just shows you how many new directions and avenues that people are going, and the extent that they’re willing to go, to sell something that is fraudulent and to just simply rip people off and take your hard-earned money away,” Miller says.
Police say 30-year-old Michael Marks sold at least two cars on Craigslist after tampering with their odometers.
Two victims came forward in December, and state troopers swooped in to arrest him last week at the home where he also did business at
5530 NW Broad Street (an address formerly home to
European Psychic Readings).
Then Miller went public with the case on the hunch that more victims are out there — perhaps some who traveled quite a distance to get a good deal on a car.
“This is a pretty significant case for us. I’m not sure of another Craigslist tie-in,” he said. “People are looking for the best product, the best deal, the lowest mileage vehicle for the price. They’re willing to drive 300 or 400 miles.”
Miller says it’s tricky but not impossible to spot a fraudulent odometer. And he wants anyone with suspicions to reach out to the highway patrol at 615-251-5185.
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