Rapid City Windshield Scam: Bland Gets a Year

RAPID CITY, SD – Robert Rodney Bland, 52, of Rapid City, is trading in windshield repairs for federal prison stripes after being sentenced to a year behind bars for a brazen scheme to defraud the General Services Administration (GSA). U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken handed down the sentence on September 4, 2020, after Bland was convicted on two counts of Wire Fraud and one count of Theft of Government Property. The sentence also includes a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and a hefty $75,000 in restitution to the GSA.

Between January 2010 and May 2018, Bland operated Motive Magic Mobile Windshield Repair as a vehicle for pure, calculated dishonesty. He systematically billed the GSA for rock chip repairs on dozens of vehicles leased to various federal agencies – repairs he simply didn’t perform. The scale of the fraud is staggering: Bland claimed 71 repairs on one vehicle when only two were actually completed, and a flat-out fabricated 44 repairs on another. He pocketed $75,000 in fraudulent payments.

What makes this case particularly galling is Bland’s deliberate attempt to keep the agencies in the dark. He routinely failed to notify vehicle representatives or provide invoices before or after submitting the fraudulent bills to the GSA. This wasn’t an oversight; it was a calculated effort to avoid detection. The GSA was left footing the bill for phantom repairs while Bland enjoyed the fruits of his deception.

And enjoy them he did. The $75,000 wasn’t squirreled away in some offshore account. Bland used the ill-gotten gains to fund a lavish lifestyle, purchasing a pontoon boat, boat trailer, Harley Davidson motorcycle, 5th wheel camper, and a van – all for personal use. Thankfully, federal investigators weren’t buying it. All of these vehicles have been seized and forfeited to the United States government.

“GSA relies on vendors across the United States to maintain its large fleet of government vehicles,” stated Jamie Willemin, Special Agent in Charge, General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General. “The judgment in this case proves that GSA OIG, along with our investigative partners, will pursue vendors who defraud the Government and take advantage of the trust that is placed in them.” The investigation was a joint effort by the GSA-OIG, the Department of Health and Human Services-OIG, and the Department of Defense-OIG.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson successfully prosecuted the case, securing Bland’s conviction and sentence. Bland was immediately taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his 12-month sentence. This case serves as a stark reminder that defrauding the government isn’t a victimless crime, and those who attempt it will face the full force of federal law.