Attorney General's News Release

July 21, 2008

Kansas City car salesman sentenced in felony odometer fraud case in charge brought by Nixon

Kansas City, Mo. - A Kansas City man who was convicted earlier this year on one count of unlawful merchandising practices for knowingly defrauding car buyers in an odometer scam was sentenced Friday (July 18) to two years probation and ordered to performed 80 hours of community service. Michael Myers (DOB 1-5-65) was sentenced by Judge William C. Kramer in Jackson County Circuit Court in a case prosecuted by Attorney General Jay Nixon.

Myers was indicted on the charge in December 2006 by the Jackson County grand jury at the request of Nixon. The charge against Myers was in connection with the attempted sale of a vehicle to consumers in which he misrepresented how many miles were on the odometer. According to the indictment, Myers worked at First Class Auto and Marine located at 14501 East U.S. Highway 40 in Kansas City. He was found guilty of the felony charge by Judge Kramer on Feb. 8, 2008.

Nixon offers the following common-sense tips to avoid odometer fraud when purchasing a vehicle:

• Ask dealers who previously sold the vehicle for copies of the vehicle's disclosure forms;
• Check oil-change stickers for mileage; and
• Check the mileage at the vehicle's last inspection. A title search can disclose this information.

Read the Attorney General's "All About Autos" publication