THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RAVENNA, Ohio -- A man facing a big bill because he had blown the engine in his 1997 BMW decided to bury his car instead and collect $20,000 from his insurance company by claiming it was stolen.
Matthew Mueller rented a backhoe in October 2002 and buried the car on property owned by his father in rural northeast Ohio.
Police received tips last year and excavated the vehicle.
Mueller, 35, of Akron, was sentenced to a year in prison for insurance fraud, tampering with evidence, falsification and receiving stolen property.
He apologized in Portage County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday and paid restitution to Progressive Insurance along with $15,500 to state officials for their costs digging up the vehicle.
"It was stupidity and completely out of character," he said. "I broke the law and I tried to conceal it."
