A former Denison, Iowa, auto dealer accused of theft and fraud is suing the state for allegedly interfering with his ability to continue selling cars.
In 2018, former owner of the Adams Motor Company dealership, Robert Adams, was charged with 11 counts of first-degree theft, three counts of second-degree theft, and one count each of felony unlawful activity and fraudulent sales practices. As part of a plea agreement, Crawford County prosecutors agreed to drop 15 of the 16 charges in return for pleading guilty to the fraudulent sales practices charge.
“For most of my life, working in car sales was my dream,” Adams told the court, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch. “But I now know that I will be happier and do better in a position where I can focus on the good aspects of my past career — working with people, customer service and sales — in an environment where I do not have to handle the risk, stress and strain of managing the finances of a business.”
He was granted a deferred judgment, which included being placed on probation for three years and was required to maintain gainful employment, according to Iowa Capital Dispatch.
In 2019, Adams began working at Edwards of Storm Lake, a car dealership. Edwards was allegedly threatened by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) to revoke the company’s license if it continued to employ Adams, causing them to fire him. Adams, later on, was given a conditional offer of employment from Colonial Life Insurance.
According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, District Court Judge Patrick Tott said, “While the court acknowledges that this probationary status may be hampering the defendant’s ability to obtain employment, possible fraudulent activity is a significant danger involved in the type of employment the defendant is seeking, i.e., working for an insurance company.”
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