Gainesville man charged with running chop shop out of a storage unit

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Michael Richard Maser, 53, who was already in the Alachua County Jail on an unrelated charge, has been charged with running a chop shop in a storage unit and stealing a scooter and a motorcycle.

Gainesville Police Department officers responded on November 16 to a report that a chop shop was being run out of a storage unit at Storage Depot of Gainesville (4524 SW 29th Lane). They reported that Maser’s wife came out of the storage unit when they knocked, and they could see “numerous” motorcycles and scooters inside the storage unit while speaking to her.

Maser’s wife reportedly said she has been sleeping in the storage unit because she and Maser were recently evicted; she said Maser works on vehicles in the storage unit to earn money, but she didn’t know anything about whether they had been stolen. Maser arrived while officers were at the storage unit and asked why they were there; an officer said they were investigating the unit as a chop shop, and Maser reportedly declined to answer questions without a lawyer present and left the area.

The man who rents the storage unit also arrived while officers were at the unit and reportedly said Maser had notified him about the presence of law enforcement. The renter reportedly gave the officers consent to search the unit, and they reportedly found four scooters (one of which had been reported stolen) and two motorcycles (one of which had been reported stolen). The officers reported that most of the scooters and motorcycles were missing parts. The VIN on the stolen motorcycle was reportedly filed down.

The man who rents the unit reportedly said he has known Maser for several months and has a verbal agreement that Maser will help him fix one of his vehicles. In return, he allowed Maser to access the unit but said he didn’t know Maser was living in the unit. He said he had not been to the unit for several weeks and did not know the scooters and motorcycles were in the unit. The officers also reported finding mechanic’s tools and Maser’s personal belongings.

Maser was arrested on December 6 on a federal warrant for a probation violation on a weapon offense and was charged with possession of methamphetamine and prescription pills after those items were reportedly found in a search incident to arrest. Judge Susan Miller-Jones ordered him held on $40,000 bail.

Maser was previously arrested for fleeing on November 19 and was released after posting bail on December 1. An officer reportedly listened to a call he made from the jail on November 22 in which he spoke with a person believed to be the renter of the unit; the other party said he was planning on getting rid of the storage unit, and Maser reportedly said all his belongings were in the unit.

Maser has three felony convictions (none violent) and two misdemeanor convictions (none violent); he has served two state prison sentences, he has served a federal prison sentence, and he is on federal probation.

Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail on the new charges at $150,000 on top of the previous $40,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.