Owners of Rod & Custom in Springfield Queen City face 18 felony charges

Springfield auto repair shop owners who allegedly took money for repairs and failed to deliver are now facing felony charges from prosecutors.

Queen City Rod & Custom is under fire from customers who claim the garage charged them for repairs and then returned the cars with shoddy workmanship or in worse condition than before.

Hillary Deckard and Reed Arnold, owner and operator of Queen City Rod & Custom, are each charged with 18 felonies, including nine counts of deceptive trade practices, seven counts of theft of $750 or more and two counts of financial exploitation of an elderly or disabled person.

In court documents filed, Garrett Bentlage, an investigator with the attorney general’s office, alleges that nine consumers reported losses of $62,485.20 after hiring the company “to provide services that were never performed as promised” from October 2021 to September 2023. Bentlage also says that none of the consumers have received refunds for the amounts they paid.

The probable cause affidavit states that Deckard deposited consumer funds into Bank of America accounts, but that the documents show the money deposited into the accounts “was not used as disclosed to the consumers.”

“As Attorney General, I will enforce the laws as they are written and defend Missourians from fraud,” Attorney General Andrew Bailey said in a press release. “My Consumer Protection Unit thoroughly investigates fraud complaints and takes swift action when we find enough evidence to move forward. Our goal is not only to hold bad actors accountable, but also to provide full restitution to everyone affected.”

On July 25, arrest warrants were issued for both Deckard and Arnold. Arnold’s bail was set at $60,000 and Deckard’s at $25,000. The bail conditions stipulate that Deckard and Arnold must appear at all court dates, commit no crimes, prohibit them from accepting consumer money as a down payment for future mechanic work, and have no contact with any of the state’s nine witnesses.

Four consumers have also filed civil lawsuits against Queen City Rod & Custom. These cases have all resulted in varying amounts of money for the consumers.

More: Customers say this Springfield auto repair shop took cars and money and only caused headaches

In 2023, the Attorney General’s Office obtained a conviction in a case in which a Springfield contractor “accepted large advances for home renovations or repair projects and either provided minimal supplies or partial work.” The contractor was sentenced to four years in prison and five years probation.

The News-Leader filed a Sunshine Request for consumer complaints about Queen City Rod & Custom in June 2023. Due to the existing backlog of requests, the attorney general’s office informed the News-Leader in January that the earliest the data would be available would be June 5, 2024. There have been no further updates on the information.

Susan Szuch covers health and nutrition for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @szuchsm. Have a story idea? Email her at [email protected].