(Lincoln, Ne.)– A convicted criminal who worked for a Nebraska state department has been arrested in the Iowa Great Lakes Area.
Dickinson County Sheriff Greg Baloun says he arrested 50-year-old Rock Lee Mueller around 8:00 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant out of Lancaster county, Nebraska.
Baloun says Mueller, who worked for a lakes area lawn service, was arrested outside his place of employment on Highway 86 after getting off work.
Mueller was wanted by Nebraska authorities for allegedly selling a mortgaged motor home to a couple on or about April 12th of this year without paying off the loan.
Mueller is also being investigated for his work with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services’s Anti-Tobacco Program. Officials say the Lincoln, Nebraska man allegedly took money from a company to ensure that it won a contract to run the state’s smoking cessation hotline.
No charges have been filed against Mueller related to the accusations.
Mueller was arrested Wednesday for allegedly selling a motor home to a couple for 32-thousand dollars, then keeping the money that he owed to an Iowa bank for the vehicle.
He could face between 10 and 60 years in prison.
Police say Mueller has three previous felony-theft convictions and faces charges of being a habitual criminal.
Mueller’s attorney says his client claims that he did nothing wrong related to the state department.
Mueller, who had been living recently in the lakes area, owns a house in the harbor on West Lake Okoboji at 2540 Breakwater Drive. Records show he purchased the residence on February 20th of this year for 275-thousand dollars.
