Iowa Jury Convicts Cedar Rapids Landlord on Insurance Fraud

A Cedar Rapids landlord has been convicted of two counts of tax fraud.

It took a Sioux City jury just two hours to convict Robert Miell on Friday.

The 54-year-old was convicted in U.S. District Court of filing false tax returns in an insurance fraud scheme from which he collected more than $336,000 for hail damage on 145 properties from American Family Mutual in 2001 and 2002.

He will be sentenced in about 80 days.

Miell and his attorney declined to comment after the verdict was read.

A week ago, Miell pleaded guilty to 18 counts of mail fraud and two counts of perjury included in the same indictment as the tax fraud charges.

The mail fraud charges arose from the storm damage claim checks being mailed to Miell after he had falsely reported he had repaired properties.

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Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazetteonline.com/