By Steven Symes 
We understand the desire to grab a Dodge Hellcat, especially since they’re no longer made, but one man turned to criminal fraud to get his. According to authorities, back in 2018 48-year-old Steven Daniel Miller used a stolen social security number for a credit application for a brand new Dodge Challenger Hellcat from a dealer in Yuba City, California.
This car museum saw record attendance last year.
Now Miller is facing serious consequences after he was caught, pled guilty of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in May 2024, but then just didn’t show up for his sentencing in court back in October 2024, reports KRON4.
The man was tracked down and arrested in November and has sat in a jail cell since. He just found out his fate: four years in federal prison and $36,205.81 in restitution. That amount makes us wonder if he didn’t successfully make the payments on the ill-gotten Hellcat for some time before someone realized what he had done.
We’re not saying what Miller did was right, but the guy could’ve just disappeared and never made a single payment on the Hellcat. He could’ve sold it to a chop shop and made pure profits off the transaction, then walked and hoped he was never caught.
Instead, it sounds like he kept the Mopar muscle car, made payments for some time, then was caught. We hope he had some good times with the Hellcat because we can guarantee it was seized first thing.
Lest anyone think a scheme like this is a good way to get their dream car they can’t otherwise swing, just remember that four years in federal prison is a long time. That means he can’t work a job, so he loses out on wages as well as his freedom. Plus, he’ll have to pay back over $36,000, which is not going to be easy considering his employment options are going to be more limited with his criminal record.
It’s best to save your pennies, eat ramen, and sacrifice for years to get that dream ride. At least you’ll get to keep it and not have to worry about getting caught one day.
Image via Stellantis