Cedar Rapids landlord sentencing set for April

Sentencing for convicted landlord Robert Miell will continue in April after being postponed from September because Miell decided he wanted to testify.

The sentencing in U.S. District Court is set for 8:30 a.m. April 19, and could go three days.

The court gave Miell ample time to hire a new attorney after he disagreed with his previous attorneys about him taking the stand to defend himself. The attorneys asked to withdraw from the case and Alfredo Parrish, a Des Moines attorney, has agreed to represent Miell.

Miell, 55, was convicted in January of two counts of tax fraud and pleaded guilty before trial to 18 counts of mail fraud and two counts of perjury. The charges stem from fraudulently reporting more than $336,000 in storm damage on 145 properties to American Family Insurance.