New Jersey Man Caught in the Midst of Massive Bankruptcy Fraud

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RE: EBAY LOVES, PROFITS FROM, AND SUPPORTS CRIME WORLDWIDE:

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Web Black Market in Diabetic Supplies Costs Government $200m

Mar 11, 2012 3:04 PM EDT

The government subsidizes $1 billion in medical supplies for diabetics annually, but due to illegal online resellers at least $200 million of that isn't accounted for, Diane Dimond reports.

Last month, the federal government won its case against Gary Winner, the CEO of Planned Eldercare, an Illinois medical-supply company. Winner had been charged following an intensive investigation which found that his company preyed on older patients by asking for their Medicare number in return for free medical devices.

Many of Winner's marks had diabetes, and he sent them what every diabetic needs: blood-testing strips and lancets, which they use to monitor their blood glucose levels - some of them several times a day. But Winner also threw in various ankle, knee, and elbow braces, and even erectile-dysfunction machines. According to court papers, Winner bought penis pumps from a California sex-toy shop, repackaged them and labeled them as medically necessary devices for diabetes to "help increase blood flow to the prostate." Planned Eldercare then billed Medicaid at a 1000% markup, for a total of more than $370,000.

The prosecution of Winner, which resulted in a three-year-plus prison sentence for Medicare fraud, was a long time coming, but there is more that could be done to expose the darker corners of the multibillion-dollar business that is diabetic medical supplies.

Nearly 25 million Americans struggle with diabetes, and about 2 million are diagnosed with the life-threatening disease each year. The Centers for Disease Control reports diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke, and the leading cause of kidney failure, new cases of blindness and a majority of limb amputations. In other words, it is not a disease to mess around with.

But that is happening every day, as uninsured diabetics, faced with the high cost of the blood-monitoring equipment, are increasingly turning to quasi-legal or outright illegal suppliers. At a pharmacy, a box of 100 small plastic blood-testing strips sells for about $125. On the Internet the price can be less than half that.

For example, a recent posting on Craigslist in Dallas, under the title "Contour Diabetes Test Strips," offered "9 boxes ... unopened 50 strips per box. Asking $20 per box obo exp 6/2012".

The posting, like most of its type, mentions nothing about how the seller got the boxes. The truth is that some are offered by family members of deceased diabetes patients, others by those who shoplifted the items from a store. Nationwide, entrepreneurs scout estate sales looking for abandoned supplies to resell online.

And even though no diabetic patient could possibly use 450 test strips by June, the demand for cut-rate supplies remains high, and the lack of significant federal regulation in the area makes it very difficult to stanch the supply. (Public health officials caution diabetics that the strips are sensitive to moisture and temperature, and are not reliable unless kept in a controlled environment and sold by a licensed pharmacist.)

In fact, the federal government itself may be an unwilling abettor to the fraud. Of the more than $1 billion that Medicare and Medicaid spend each year subsidizing purchases of test strips, at least $200 million of that is "unaccounted for," according to a recent series of region reports by the Department of Health and Human Services. Privately, officials say that number is a very conservative estimate of the annual losses.

When asked to comment on what is being done to alleviate the fraud and waste connected to the supply of government-subsidized diabetic supplies the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

While test strips and lancets are both available over the counter, any seller of diabetic supplies must register with the Food and Drug Administration. Some online merchants, such as charitable organizations, have done so, but most have not. And no online sales are sanctioned by the biggest manufacturers - Johnson & Johnson's LifeScan brand, Abbott, Bayer, Nipro, and Roche.

So where are all the underpriced diabetic supplies coming from?

Shirley Mendoza, for one. In 2004, Mendoza was working as an administrative assistant at a Roche lab in Berkley, Calif., and somehow convinced the home office in Indiana to send thousands of boxes of test strips to the lab, where she intercepted them. Prosecutors said Shirley sold the strips on eBay for a total of $1.5 million, then funneled the money through her husbands bank account to buy eight expensive cars and three properties. After a joint investigation by the FDA and the FBI the Mendozas were arrested and charged with conspiracy, mail fraud, and money laundering. Charges against her husband were ultimately dropped, but Shirley pleaded guilty and was sentenced to just under three years in prison.

A much bigger problem than individual fraud is the glut of supplies, which drives the online black market.

read the rest

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Man admits to stealing 111 Albemarle schools laptops

By: Samantha Koon | The Daily Progress
Published: March 06, 2012

A former Albemarle County employee has admitted to stealing 111 laptop computers from the county school division.

Alex Hunt pleaded guilty Tuesday to grand larceny in Albemarle Circuit Court in the theft of the computers.

Judge Cheryl Higgins accepted the plea agreement reached between the commonwealth's attorney and Hunt's defense attorney, Nicholas Reppucci.

Higgins sentenced Hunt immediately after his plea, assigning him 10 years in prison with all but 11 months of that time suspended. Hunt will also be required to pay $1,000 to Albemarle County, and more than $83,000 to Liberty Mutual Agency Markets.

Hunt, 35, agreed to the terms on the condition that the commonwealth not press further larceny charges. The maximum punishment for grand larceny is 20 years in prison and a $2,500 fine.

Hunt told Higgins that he plans to apply to be a part of the county's work-release program.

Hunt was arrested and charged with grand larceny in April. At the time of his arrest, he worked as a plumber for the county, and had access to the key that opened a storage locker that both the county and the county's school division used.

The facility housed numerous 13-inch white Apple laptops purchased by the school division. All of the machines were in their original packaging.

Though the storage facility had surveillance cameras, the videos they produced were largely unhelpful to the investigation. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Jon Zug said that the investigation went on for two months without any "significant leads."

Between November 2010 and January 2011, Hunt took 111 computers from the facility and sold them on the Internet-based auction site eBay. Zug told the judge that the school division paid $879 for each computer. Hunt sold the stolen machines for around $400 each.

Hunt was found out when a woman in Greene County contacted the police about an Apple laptop she purchased at a significant discount from Hunt on eBay. The serial number for that machine indicated that it was not reported stolen, but it did alert police to Hunt's Internet sales activity.

Transaction records could only be found for 83 of the stolen machines, which were sold to customers around the country, as well as in Canada and England. Zug said Hunt told his customers he found a "good source" for inexpensive computers. None of the computers was recovered.

Hunt will next appear in court on March 28, at which time he will begin serving his 11-month active sentence.

He will be required to maintain good behavior for 20 years after his release. Hunt will also be placed on administrative probation to ensure that he repays his debts.

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Feds arrest suspect in $1 million vehicle fraud ring

U.S. federal agents are investigating an international fraud ring that advertised boats and cars for sale online, but never came through with the delivery of the vehicles.

The three-person ring, which operated mostly on the East Coast, was likely supported by a larger criminal enterprise, authorities said.

The crew worked swiftly last summer, and within three months swindled more than $1 million dollars from victims around the United States before the scam was detected, authorities said.

Federal agents recently arrested a Hungarian suspect who they say worked the scheme from a Dupont Circle hotel this summer.

Istvan Laszlo Csurgo, 29, was arrested while exiting a plane in Charlotte last month and charged with conspiracy, bank fraud and forged use of a passport. Charging documents against Csurgo were unsealed in federal court in the District, and made public this week.

According to charging documents signed by an FBI agent, the ring advertised and sold car, trucks and boats on websites such as eBay and Cars.com to buyers mainly in the United States.

After the buyers wired an agreed-upon amount of money to bank accounts opened with bogus identities by members of the ring, the trio would stop communication with the buyers and never deliver the vehicle.

The ring received wire transfers averaging slightly more than $20,000 apiece from more than 60 victims, agents said.

Prosecutors said the trio used counterfeit Portuguese and Greek passports and drivers' licenses to set up set up nine limited liability companies, open 26 bank accounts and rent out UPS Store mailboxes to establish D.C.-area addresses.

Csurgo arrived in the D.C. area around July 22 and stayed at the Dupont Circle Hotel, 1500 New Hampshire Ave. NW, from about July 31 to Aug. 25, agents said.

Investigators said they recovered physical evidence left at two hotels.

Csurgo used at least seven aliases, including passports in the name of Marcos Dias and Louis Selevanso, to open bank accounts in D.C., Montgomery County and Northern Virginia. For the names of their limited liability companies, they used AMZ Vehicle Brokers and Vehicle International Brokers.

The Embassy of Portugal in Washington determined that passports were counterfeit, noting that the passport numbers belonged to Portuguese citizens with different names.

The photographs in the passports were of Csurgo, authorities said.

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mugshot at link

Olympus Worker Charged in $374,000 eBay Scam Extradited

Found in Texas, Benjamin Wilson sits in a Lehigh County prison on $75,000 bail

By Elizabeth Rich

A former Olympus employee charged with defrauding the company of $374,303 is back in Lehigh County after police arrested him in Katy, TX. Police issued a warrant for Benjamin Wilson, 35, after a 2011 investigation uncovered Wilson was purchasing televisions and computers with Olympus Corp. funds and selling them on eBay.

On June 21, 2011, a senior asset protection analyst in Olympus' Internal Audit Department contacted Upper Saucon Township police. Employees told police that in late February to early March 2011, Olympus noticed that the Scientific Equipment Group had purchased 10 Dell workstations valued at about $44,683 that could not be accounted for. Wilson, an Olympus emplyee at the time, signed the purchase orders.

Further investigation uncovered Wilson ordered 454 high-end televisions, which were paid for by the company. He then sold the TVs on eBay, using the name "benandem98".

Wilson was no longer an employee at the time of his arrest and had relocated with his family to Katy, TX. He was extradited and arraigned yesterday evening, and faces three felony counts of theft and forgery.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Loks like the conclusion of the revealing and hilarious Paypal funded murder for hire story.

Read more here as well as previously on this topic thread

Woman Gets 72 Months for Trying to Broker a Hit on a Romantic Rival

U.S. Attorney's Office January 13, 2012

Eastern District of Pennsylvania (215) 861-8200

PHILADELPHIA - Marissa Mark, 29, of Jersey City, New Jersey, and Allentown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for hiring a hit man to commit a murder and paying for the service using stolen credit cards. Mark pleaded guilty September 9, 2011. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Gene E.K. Pratter ordered Mark to pay a fine in the amount of $1,500 and a special assessment of $800.

In September 2006, Mark was living in Allentown when she visited the "hitmanforhire" website seeking a hitman to kill "A.L.R." by shooting "A.L.R." in the head. She contracted a person to complete the job for the sum of $37,000. To pay the fee, Mark used three stolen credit card accounts belonging to other people and made payments to the hitman using Paypal. Mark was arrested in March 2011 at her current residence in Jersey City. The target of Mark's alleged plot was not physically harmed.

Mark pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, three counts of aggravated identity theft, attempted access device fraud, and aiding and abetting.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arlene Fisk.

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Cops: daughter stole $20K in memorabilia

John Nickerson

Updated 10:18 p.m., Monday, March 19, 2012

NORWALK -- A woman was arrested Monday morning, charged with stealing more than $28,000 worth of sports memorabilia from her father's Westport home.

Stephanie Bernier, 21, of Wicklund Ave., Stratford, was charged Monday morning with first-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny.

Initially held in lieu of $20,000 bond, she was arraigned at state Superior Court in Norwalk Monday, where Judge Bruce Hudock lowered her bond to $10,000.

Also arrested in the case is Daniel Scott, 29, of Stratford; at his arraignment at state Superior Court in Norwalk Monday he was ordered held in lieu of $15,000 bond on a conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny charge.

The case goes back to Jan. 3, when Bernier's father was cleaning out his computer room and moved his daughter's backpack when a signed Roger Clemens baseball fell out of the pack, according to her four-page arrest warrant affidavit.

He searched the pack and found a few dozen certificates of authenticity for other baseballs he later discovered to be stolen, the affidavit said; Bernier admitted stealing the items from his extensive sports memorabilia collection and agreed to return them the next day.

But police said Bernier never showed up. The next day, the father realized some memorabilia he was bidding on online had been stolen from him.

The father recovered about $24,290 worth of his sports memorabilia from a Stratford sports memorabilia dealer. About $4,100 worth had already been sold on eBay; the sports dealer said he would try to recover the stolen items, the affidavit said.

The Stratford dealer told police he had purchased about 100 sports memorabilia items from Bernier and Scott. Bernier told the man her father had died and he left her his collection, the affidavit said.

When Scott came in to make a statement he said, "I have nothing to do with the stealing of my girlfriend's father (sic) things," the affidavit said.

Some of the items of the father's items sold on eBay were a 1933 World Series program for $1,000, 1955 Yankee Yearbook for $750, and a 1951 baseball all-star program for $300, the affidavit said.

Some of the more valuable items recovered from the Stratford dealer were a Mariano Rivera autographed baseball ($300), 1969 World Series program ($750), a 1962 Mets Yearbook ($600), a Superbowl I program ($500) and a 1949 World Series program ($600).

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Former Cessna Employee Sentenced to 18 Months for Stealing Parts from Airplanes

U.S. Attorney's Office March 05, 2012

District of Kansas (316) 269-6481

WICHITA, KS - A former Cessna employee has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for selling stolen aircraft parts on eBay, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today. He also was ordered to pay $130,000 restitution.

Diego Alejandro Paz-Teran, 35, Wichita, Kansas, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property. In his plea, Paz-Teran admitted he stole aircraft parts from Cessna and sold them on eBay. According to court documents, the investigation began in November 2008 when an employee of a Rockwell Collins Company distributor saw a Collins AHC-3000 Attitude Reference Computer offered for sale on eBay for $9,000. Knowing that the part was valued at more than $45,000, he contacted the seller and asked for serial numbers. Cessna tracked the serial numbers to a part that was removed from an XLS Plus aircraft while it was being painted.

Investigators found other stolen aircraft parts being sold on the same eBay account and followed records on the account to Teran at his home in Wichita.

Grissom commended the U.S. Department of Transportation-Office of Inspector General, the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster for their work on the case.

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Cedar Falls woman arrested for eBay fraud

Posted: Thursday, March 29, 2012 1:00 pm

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- A Cedar Falls woman was arrested Tuesday for allegedly using eBay to bilk a New York man out of $1,550.

Mary Grace Matt, 29, of 700 W. Ridgeway Ave. Lot 740, was arrested for second-degree theft.

According to court records, Matt had advertised a vehicle for sale on e-Bay. The buyer, Michael Naglieri, of Mahopac, N.Y., bought the vehicle and sent money through Western Union to pay for shipping. The vehicle sale was determined to be a fraud, and Naglieri reported it in May 2011.

Matt allegedly told police that she kept part of the money and sent some of it to people in Nigeria to receive other property as part of the scam. She then pawned or sold that property.

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Identity Theft Kingpin Pleads Guilty

Capistrano Beach man and crew stole identities, went shopping and then sold the ill-gotten goods on eBay and Craigslist -- until Newport Beach police shut them down.

A Capistrano Beach man believed to be the kingpin of a crime ring pleaded guilty Monday to stealing numerous identities to buy high-end goods he then sold on eBay and Craigslist, the Orange County District Attorney's office reported.

Christopher John Aragon, 51, pleaded guilty to 50 felony counts including 33 counts of unauthorized use of personal identifying information, 13 counts of grand theft, two counts of counterfeiting access cards and one count each of conspiracy to commit a crime and the sale or transport of a controlled substance, according to a press release from the DA's office.

He is expected to receive 25 years in state prison when he is sentenced Sept. 28, the DA's office said.

Between March 29, 2004, and April 15, 2007, Aragon led a crime ring that included his wife, Clara Aragon, and six co-defendants. One of them, hacker Guy Itzak ****rit, 28, of Miami would obtain victims' credit card numbers used to encode forged credit cards.

Christopher Aragon and his co-defendants used the credit profiles and personal identifying information of victims to make fraudulent California driver's licenses, credit cards and gift cards, according to the DA.

The defendants encoded the magnetic strips of the credit and gift cards with stolen account information, and used the cards to purchase high-end merchandise, including designer handbags, jewelry, clothing and electronics, the DA's press release states.

Christopher Aragon hired women to shop for him. They traveled throughout California and to Las Vegas to purchase the goods, the DA reported.

Christopher Aragon and his co-defendants then resold the merchandise on eBay and Craigslist. Clara Aragon hired an employee solely to sell stolen goods on eBay.

Law enforcement officials caught up to Aragon and his crew in Newport Beach on May 12, 2007, after a scanned credit card's magnetic encoding did not match the imprint on the card, the DA's office said.

Newport Beach police officers made the arrest in the parking lot at Fashion Island after Aragon and ****rit had purchased $13,000 worth of men's and women's clothing and watches using fraudulent American Express and Visa cards, the DA's press release states.

Inside Aragon's vehicle police also found 20 ecstasy pills and prescription Xanax, according to the DA.

A large group of co-defendants have already pleaded guilty in related cases. They include:

Clara Aragon, 39, Capistrano Beach
Sarah Jean Gunderson, 29, Tustin,
Elizabeth Ann Esquer, 34, Irvine
Nancy Diaz Silva, 29, San Juan Capistrano
Guy Itzak ****rit, 28, Miami
Federico Vigo, 52, Northridge.

They all pleaded guilty to more than 80 felony counts each, including conspiracy to commit identity theft, identity theft, burglary and possession of stolen property.

In addition, Marcus Phillipe Rojas, 37, of Mission Viejo pleaded guilty in 2007 to 17 felony counts including identity theft, grand theft, burglary, possession of stolen property, possession of drugs for sale and possession of counterfeiting equipment.

Their sentences ranged from one year in Orange County Jail with three years of formal probation up to seven years in state prison, the DA reported.

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PayPal engineer charged in Sunnyvale sex assault

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

just to add this live link to the same news as the above is now 404'd

PayPal engineer charged in Sunnyvale sex assault

-- Edited by budnonymous on Sunday 2nd of September 2012 07:23:19 PM

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Postal worker confesses to stealing $40,000 worth of valuables in mail

Court records show Hermenegildo Lopez was robbing a post office in Merrick, L.I. for about one year

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Saturday, March 31, 2012, 1:32 AM

A postal worker might as well have put a stamp on his head that read: Deliver me to jail.

The postal supervisor took photographs of the $40,000 in stolen merchandise that he's accused of peddling on eBay and stored the images on his work computer.

Hermenegildo Lopez, apparently cornered, confessed that he had been stealing parcels that contained UGGS, jewelry, blocks of precious metal, cell phones, DVDs, a Lalique glass vase, a laptop computer and women's hair care products. Court records show the thefts went on for about a year at a post office in Merrick, L.I.

Lopez, 45, went on his sticky-fingered binge after running into financial troubles, according to the court papers. Authorities said the photographs made it easy to nail the suspect.

"Based upon my review of customer complaints, I was able to determine that the various items depicted in the photographs . . . matched the items reported missing by the Merrick post office customers," Special Agent Steven DeMayo of the inspector general's office said in the criminal complaint.

After receiving a complaint from the postmaster about missing packages and large quantities of postage stamps
being unaccounted for at the Merrick branch, investigators began scrutinizing the employees' computers.

Sure enough, the screen shots of the stolen items showed up on Lopez's computer. Next, Lopez's eBay account records were obtained showing he had sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of items, including postage stamps at a discount from January 2011 to December 2011.

A sting operation was set in motion on March 6 - a test parcel containing an electronic transmitter was delivered to the Merrick location.

Lopez took the parcel from a clerk and stashed it under his desk, court papers show. A few hours later he placed a mail tub containing the parcel in the back seat of his car and drove away. He was stopped a short distance away by agents and agreed to a search of the vehicle.

"The special agents also found approximately 12 other unopened parcels," including various loose collectible silver coins, according to court papers.

Lopez estimated that he had stolen about 200 packages over the past year. Agents recovered more merchandise in Lopez's Manhattan apartment - 60 copper ingots, a laptop computer, five pairs of UGGS boots, 10 Blockbuster DVDs, 10 rolls of postage stamps, 17 books of stamps and two cell phones.

Lopez, who graduated with a degree in accounting from Queens College, filed for bankruptcy in 2004. He has been free on his own recognizance since his arrest
on March 7 in the postal scam and could not be reached.

"I'm blindsided," said a relative who didn't want his name used. "I love him. I support him on everything he does."

budnonymous · Top Poster

UPDATED: Alleged Con Man Captured in Lexington

A Romanian man is accused of opening back accounts using counterfeit identification and bilking victims out of thousands through their online payments for non-existent vehicles.

By Patrick Ball

April 1, 2012

An alleged international con man was arrested last Friday, March 30, after Lexington Police captured the suspect following his arrival at a Citizens Bank in town.

LPD detained the man, identified as 31-year-old Catalin Buzea, of Woburn, until the arrival of investigators from other agencies, which arrested Buzea for larceny by scheme over $250, uttering forgery and identity fraud.

The Boston Police Special Investigations Unit, along with ICE/Homeland Security and the Postal Inspectors apprehended Buzea in connection with his alleged opening of bank accounts throughout the greater Boston using counterfeit passports and identification cards, according to a post on the BPD News website.

Buzea allegedly opened bank accounts and money was wired into them from victims who had purchased non-existing vehicles posted on EBay, according to the report, which alleges the suspect opened bank accounts at Bank of America and Citizens Bank during February and March of this year.

Upon his arrest in Lexington, Buzea was found to be in possession of a counterfeit Greek passport, Romanian passport and an identification card from the Netherlands, according to the BPD News report.

Lexington Police on Friday confirmed their involvement in the arrest during a conversation with Patch. We'll post a follow-up with more local information when and if it becomes available.

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Probation for man who sold stolen goods on eBay

A Lockport man accused of selling a trumpet and a high-tech modem on eBay after he stole them and other items from the warehouse where he worked must pay more than $106,000 in restitution and spend three years on probation.

Thomas Ficek, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of theft Thursday before Will County Judge Edward Burmila, who handed down the sentence. In doing so Ficek admitted only that he stole more than $10,000 worth of printer toner and cartridges from his employer, Standard Forwarding, in June 2010.

Prosecutors dropped the other charges he faced, including additional counts of theft, money laundering and unlawful online sale of stolen property.

Police caught Ficek selling the property online after the $2,500 modem went missing from a shipment that passed through Standard Forwarding's Forest View terminal in April 2010, court records show.

The customer who ordered it asked his partner to check eBay when Standard Forwarding told him it had no record of removing the modem from the shipment.

They found the modem listed May 8, 2010, by the eBay seller "bidhighuwin," for $750. They contacted the seller and asked for the modem's serial number, which court records said matched the missing modem's. They bought the item and turned it over to police when it arrived.

eBay told police the "bidhighuwin" account belonged to Ficek, who lived in Homer Glen at the time and had sold 1,500 items in the previous two years, according to court records, making $196,000. He also worked at the Forest View terminal, police said, and had 17 live auctions in June 2010.

Standard Forwarding's vice president checked the account's sales history, police said, and found several items that had been shipped by his company through the Forest View terminal. Court records said they included a Vincent Bach Stradivarius trumpet that sold for $1,380 on March 16, 2010.

The last four digits of its serial number matched a missing trumpet's, police said, for which a customer filed a claim two months later valuing the horn at $1,167.

budnonymous · Top Poster

You meet the nicest people on sleazebay...

Police Blotter: Email Harassment, Burglaries, Scrap Metal Arrest

March 23:
At 9:57 a.m., a Claridge Drive resident told Verona police she was being harassed and receiving threatening emails after she listed and sold an item on EBay. The resident said after the sale was completed and she was paid, she decided to cancel the sale and refunded the money to the purchaser and began receiving the emails.

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Williamsville Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges

U.S. Attorneys Office March 22, 2012

Western District of New York (716) 843-5700

BUFFALO - U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Keith Furman, 44, of Williamsville, New York, pleaded guilty to wire fraud before Chief U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Campana, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant operated a business called Digital Ad Experience. In 2009 and early 2010, Furman received about $190,000 from investors, with the understanding the money would be used to buy digital advertising screens that would be installed in shopping malls to display advertising. The defendant assured the investors that he used all the money to pay for the screens but instead made only partial payment for the screens. Furman used the rest of the money for living expenses and for other businesses he was running.

The defendant also admitted that he fraudulently marketed more than $25,000 worth of VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) telephones through eBay in December 2010. Furman used an eBay account in the name of Oceana Matrix, a company for which he served as president. Furman could not fulfill the orders because he did not have the phones he was offering for sale. This loss was absorbed by eBay.

The plea is the result of an investigation by special agents of the United States Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tracy Gast; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 29, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Skretny.

budnonymous · Top Poster

ICE, DOJ Seize More Domain Names of Sites Accused of Selling Counterfeits

By Grant Gross, IDG News

The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have seized more than US$896,000, plus the domain names of seven websites accused of selling counterfeit sports apparel, the two agencies announced Tuesday.

The sellers, based in China, sold counterfeit professional and collegiate sports apparel, primarily counterfeit jerseys, the agencies said ins a news release. The agencies, after making undercover purchases from the sites, received seizure warrants from a magistrate judge from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The seizure warrants were unsealed on Thursday.

Since June 2010, the two agencies have seized 758 domain names of websites accused of selling counterfeit products, including sports equipment, shoes, handbags, athletic apparel, sunglasses and DVD boxed sets. ICE's Office of Homeland Security Investigations launched Operation In Our Sites, focused on websites selling counterfeit products, in mid-2010.

Several subjects whose domain names had been seized in a November 2010 In Our Sites operation continued to sell counterfeit goods using new domain names, the agencies said. This operation targeted those websites.

The website operators processed payments for the counterfeit goods using PayPal Private Ltd. accounts and then wired their proceeds to bank accounts held at Chinese banks, the agencies said.

Through the warrants, law enforcement agents seized $826,883 that had been transferred from PayPal accounts to bank accounts in China. The funds were seized from interbank accounts held by the Chinese banks in the U.S.

Under additional seizure warrants, law enforcement agents also seized $69,504 in funds remaining in three PayPal accounts used by the website operators.

"We are working hard to protect American businesses and consumers from the damaging effects of intellectual property crime," Lanny Breuer, assistant attorney general in the DOJ's Criminal Division, said in a statement. "This investigation disrupted an online counterfeit goods operation and also struck at the heart of the criminal enterprise by seizing hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal profits."

Grant Gross covers technology and telecom policy in the U.S. government for The IDG News Service. Follow Grant on Twitter at GrantGross. Grant's e-mail address is grant_gross@idg.com.

No word what paypal did with their share, but ebay may have lost some of their precious diamond level sellers after this.

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Georgia Man Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 78 Months in Prison for Selling Fake Vintage Horror Movie Posters and Lobby Cards Over the Internet

U.S. Attorney's Office April 09, 2012

Southern District of New York (212) 637-2600

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Kerry Haggard, 47, of Commerce, Georgia, was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for selling horror movie posters and lobby cards which he represented over the Internet and elsewhere were authentic vintage collectibles but were, in fact, fakes. Haggard pled guilty to one count of mail fraud on October 24, 2011 and was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court by U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon.

According to the complaint and the indictment to which Haggard pled:

The film industry first introduced posters and lobby cards for horror movies in the 1920s. Both were displayed in the lobbies of movie theatres and became popular collectible items that are often sold through auction houses and over the Internet through online auction sites such as eBay.

From January 2006 to August 2009, Haggard engaged in a scheme to defraud collectors by selling purportedly vintage horror movie posters and lobby cards that he represented were original pieces, knowing that the items were reproductions he had created himself. Haggard used a New York-based printing company to make high-quality copies of horror movie cards or posters from either hard copies or digital scans of pieces he provided. Haggard also used a restoration company to attach the copies to lobby card stock and alter the resulting product to make it look as real as possible.

Haggard then fraudulently marketed the reproductions as originals through eBay. He was able to sell numerous fake lobby cards and posters for movies such as "Frankenstein" and "Son of Frankenstein," at prices ranging from $500 to $5,000, to approximately 25 victims. In other instances, Haggard traded his fake reproductions to other sellers who gave him real lobby cards and/or posters in return. The victims learned of the fraud in various ways, including after providing the lobby card to a restoration expert or after consigning the piece to a large auction house for sale.

Although the defendant was released on bail after his arrest in April 2010, he was rearrested and remanded in March 2011, upon order of the court, after the FBI learned that Haggard was attempting to enlist the assistance of an individual to hide items that were part of the fraud from the FBI and from his victims. The FBI recovered several pieces believed to be part of Haggard's fraud. Then, even while in jail, Haggard continued secreting assets and items from the fraud, enlisting the assistance of his girlfriend and son in doing so. The FBI recovered several of these pieces as well.

As a result of Haggard's fraud, his victims lost more than $1.3 million in money and property. Haggard's interest in the recovered pieces has been forfeited to the United States. It is anticipated that proceeds from the sale of those pieces will be used to compensate Haggard's victims.

* * *

In addition to the prison term, Judge McMahon sentenced Haggard to three years of supervised release, imposed a $1.38 million forfeiture judgment, imposed a restitution order for $1.38 million, and ordered him to pay a $100 special assessment fee.

Mr. Bharara praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its outstanding work on the case.

The case is being prosecuted by the Office's Complex Frauds Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan P. Poscablo is in charge of the prosecution.

Here's the Forbes write-up:

Frankenstein Posters Come Back From The Dead To Defraud Collectors

budnonymous · Top Poster

Lakewood Man Busted For Selling Counterfeit Microsoft Products

Monday, 09 Apr 2012

Additonal information from: U.S. Department Of Justice

LAKEWOOD - A Lakewood man is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court on Monday following his arrest by Federal agents for importing more than 1,000 counterfeit Microsoft Office CD-ROMs and selling them to unsuspecting customers over the Internet.

30-year old Collier Bennett Harper was taken into custody late Friday. He is charged with a four-counts on a federal indictment following the seizure of two shipments of Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2007 software CD-ROMs. Two of those counts for trafficking counterfeit goods and two counts of smuggling.

If convicted of all charges, Harper faces a maximum sentence of 60-years in federal prison. The arrests was a joint effort by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)

"With the growth of the Internet, counterfeiting now threatens nearly every consumer in the nation and it also causes harm to the vital intellectual property of our businesses and our manufacturers," said United States Attorney André Birotte Jr, whose office is prosecuting the case. "That is why we are working with our partners at HSI to crack down on the illegal sale and distribution of counterfeit products like the software packages seized in this case."

HSI's investigation revealed that, Harper would contact reputable dealers on eBay and hire them to sell the counterfeit software. According to investigators, the defendant allegedly instructed the sellers how to list the software, describing the product as "new" and authentic.

Read more: http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/local/lakewood-man-busted-for-selling-counterfeit-microsoft-products-2012-04-09#ixzz1rog6Zsss

budnonymous · Top Poster

U.S. v. JALLAD

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. AHMAD JALLAD, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 10-4412.
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.

Filed April 9, 2012.

BEFORE: COLE and McKEAGUE, Circuit Judges; and ZATKOFF, District Judge.^*

OPINION

McKeague, Circuit Judge.

Defendant-Appellant Ahmad Jallad pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341. He appeals his sentence, arguing that the district court violated Fed. R. Crim. P. 32(i)(3)(B) by failing to make a finding on contested issues of fact and erred in applying a two-level enhancement for obstructing justice under United States Sentencing Guidelines ("U.S.S.G.") § 3C1.1. We affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

While working as a manager at a convenience store, Jallad purchased items stolen by professional shoplifters ("boosters") from drug store chains, such as Rite Aid and Walgreens, at heavily discounted prices. He would then stock the shelves of the store with these items. In April 2004, Jallad opened an eBay account and began selling the stolen items online, using the U.S. Mail to ship the items to purchasers. He was paid by electronic transfer via PayPal or by check or money order sent to his home. Jallad operated this scheme from April 2004 until he was arrested on February 17, 2009. PayPal records reflect that $632,000 gross proceeds were deposited into Jallad's account from April 2004 through November 2008.¹

At his arraignment, Jallad executed a financial affidavit to qualify for appointed counsel under the Criminal Justice Act ("CJA"). He indicated on the affidavit that he was not employed, had not received any income in the past 12 months from a business, profession, form of self-employment, or other sources, and had $90 cash on hand. A federal public defender was appointed for him at the arraignment but was replaced with retained counsel nine days later. Jallad was indicted on one count of mail fraud on March 5, 2009 and entered a guilty plea on August 11, 2009.

continues..

budnonymous · Top Poster

8 Suspects Arrested in Online Drug Market Sting

By Kim Zetter

April 16, 2012 | 5:38 pm

Eight suspects in the United States and elsewhere have been arrested and indicted for their involvement in an online drug market accessible only through the TOR anonymizing network that sold LSD, ecstasy, marijuana and other drugs to some 3,000 customers in 34 countries.

continues...

(skipping straight down to the paypal-centric part...)

Customers paid for their drugs via Western Union, PayPal, iGolder, Pecunix and cash.

Undercover law enforcement agents infiltrated the group in a sting dubbed "Operation Adam Bomb." According to the indictment, between April and August 2011 one of the defendants received more than $261,000 in PayPal transfers for the purchase of drugs, including $2,160 that an undercover agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration sent him to buy about 30 grams of LSD.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Former Miss Utah sues Provo over arrest

By Contributed

The Associated Press

Sat, 04/21/2012 - 6:20pm

PROVO -- A former Miss Utah is suing the city of Provo for $5 million, claiming her arrest and prosecution were not warranted as her case was thrown out of court.

Elizabeth Craig and Brady Harper, in their lawsuit filed April 13 in 3rd District Court, accuse Provo and its police department of malicious prosecution.

The two were accused of illegally selling Nu Skin care products on eBay that had been donated for charity to a company called Nu Lite, and then pocketing the money.

But theft and other charges were dropped against them in December 2010.

The suit contends that as a former Miss Utah, Craig lost substantial income because of media interest in her arrest.

Officials from the Provo City Attorney's Office didn't immediately return a phone call Saturday.

budnonymous · Top Poster

April 26, 2012

2 Illinois women plead guilty to selling counterfeit goods
More than $1 million fake brand name purses, wallets, sunglasses sold; MSRP of more than $1.6 million

PEORIA, Ill. - Two Central Illinois women have pleaded guilty of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. The two woman conducted business as "The Purse Lady" and sold counterfeit items. They each face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. This investigation is being conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Bloomington (Ill.) Police Department.

Jannette Grant, 51, of Bloomington, Ill., and Kimberly Nein, 50, of Argenta, Ill., waived indictment and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. Both entered their guilty pleas before U.S. District Judge Joe Billy McDade in Peoria. Sentencing has been scheduled for Aug. 13, 2012.

According to court documents, Grant and Nein admitted to operating a business known as The Purse Lady, which offered items for sale that falsely bore trademarks of Coach, Kate Spade, Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Dooney & Bourke, Prada, Tiffany & Co. and others. Goods were sold throughout central Illinois, including at various businesses; at home parties, also known as "purse parties;" through the mail; and at a warehouse in Argenta owned by Nein.

Grant and Nein admitted that they traveled to Chicago and New York regularly to purchase inventory. According to court documents, Grant and Nein advertised their items for sale as "replica/knockoff" and stated that all references to brands were for "entertainment and novelty purposes only" and "these companies are not affiliated with us in any way."

During search warrants executed by HSI special agents May 12, 2011 at Grant's home and at Nein's warehouse in Argenta, special agents recovered more than 15,000 counterfeit items with an estimated manufacturer's suggested retail price of nearly $1.6 million. The items included 2,000 purses, 900 wallets, 400 sunglasses, 10,900 emblems and medallions, and other items. Further, HSI special agents recovered various items that Grant surrendered, including a 2008 Dodge Caravan, a 2003 BMW and $18,052 in currency at her home. Special agents have also recovered $4,487 from the business' bank account and $80,000 held in a safe deposit box. Grant has also agreed to forfeit $47,522, the amount Grant had paid on two homes in Bloomington, in lieu of forfeiture of real estate.

As the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, HSI plays a leading role in targeting criminal organizations responsible for producing, smuggling and distributing counterfeit products. HSI focuses not only on keeping counterfeit products off our streets, but also on dismantling the criminal organizations behind such illicit activity.

HSI manages the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) in Washington. The IPR Center is one of the U.S. government's key weapons in the fight against criminal counterfeiting and piracy. As a task force, the IPR Center uses the expertise of its 20 member agencies to share information, develop initiatives, coordinate enforcement actions and conduct investigations related to IP theft. Through this strategic interagency partnership, the IPR Center protects the public's health and safety, the U.S. economy and the war fighters.

To report IP theft or to learn more about the HSI-led IPR Center, visit www.IPRCenter.gov.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Darilynn J. Knauss, Central District of Illinois, is prosecuting this case on behalf of the U.S. government.

You may also visit us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, or access this news release on your mobile device.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Prison for Leslie Waffen, ex-Archives official who admitted stealing historical recordings

By Erica W. Morrison

A longtime Archives official who admitted to stealing nearly 1,000 recordings, many of them rare, was sentenced to 18 months in prison Thursday.

Leslie Waffen, 67, was also sentenced to two years of supervised probation and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine Thursday in Greenbelt's federal court. A hearing to determine further restitution was scheduled for August.

Waffen did not visibly react when U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte issued the sentence, but he cried when reading an apologetic in which he said he let his hobby as a collector of radio history get in the way of his work at the Archives.

"I took research without permission and did not return material," Waffen said. "I should have returned it. I did not return it."

The audience in the courtroom, which was full Thursday, included J. David Goldin, whose personal investigation into items for sale on eBay led to Waffen's arrest. Goldin did not speak during the hearing.

When Waffen pleaded guilty in October to theft of U.S. government property, he admitted that he stole 955 items from the Archives - among them were original recordings of the 1948 World Series, which Goldin had donated, and a rare recording of the 1937 Hindenburg disaster.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Tamarac man, mother accused of stealing millions in toys

Michael and Margaret Pollara charged with grand theft

FORT LAUDERDALE With a taste for toys, a penchant for travel and a supportive mother, a Tamarac man stands accused of roaming the globe to shoplift thousands of items that were sold for millions over the past 10 years, investigators say.

Ignatius "Michael" Pollara, 46, and Margaret Pollara, 70, were arrested Thursday and charged with more than a dozen counts of grand theft and petit theft just for laws broken in Florida since June 1, according to the Broward Sheriff's Organized Retail Crimes Unit.

But Michael Pollara plied his trade around the world, and Sheriff's Sgt. Rich Rossman said he showed no remorse.

"He made it a goal of his to steal from all 50 states within one year, which he was very proud of and he did accomplish," Rossman said.

Pollara had a system.

He, his mother and another man would enter a store, grab an affordable item in a big box, empty it and hide the contents elsewhere in the store. He would then fill the large box with smaller, more expensive items, seal it with tape and go through the checkout, paying the cheaper price on the large box, investigators said.

"The term for this is 'box stuffing,'" Rossman said.

On July 12, Michael Pollara went to a Toys R Us store in Naples and bought a Mega Bloks Play 'n Go Table for toddlers. It comes in a big box and costs between $45 and $50. After he left, loss prevention employees checked the store's inventory and discovered two Mindstorm Lego sets, worth $330 each, were missing, Toys R Us investigator Patrick Fairley reported.

The next day, two Mindstorm Lego sets were listed on Pollara's eBay websites; Fairley bought one of them. Pollara shipped it to Fairley in Houston; Fairley sent it to Florida, where it was placed into evidence, Rossman said.

Fairley also spent $19.99 on a Mickey Mouse iXL computer game that retails for $24.99. It was also sent to Florida via Texas. The package had Michael Pollara's Tamarac address on the return label, Rossman said.

Michael Pollara's eBay/Paypal records revealed he did online business as Linemart and Buymart-USA. His Linemart account had received $203,758 and his Buymart-USA account had taken in $706,118 over the years, court records showed.

"He considered it an art," Rossman said. "The art of stealing."

Pollara was pretty smug about it, too.

During police questioning, Pollara said "he wanted to personally thank CVS for paying for his vacation to Hawaii in February, which is consistent with his passport," Rossman said. "[Shoplifting] supports his travel around the world."

Toys R Us and CVS Pharmacy were two of hundreds of retailers Pollara targeted, Rossman said.

"[One] particular trip he was on lasted three weeks," Rossman said. "He drove 7,900 miles from Tamarac all the way to North Dakota and back, impacting retailers throughout the country."

But Pollara had little to show for 10 years of daily shoplifting, according to bank records.

He spent most of his money traveling and tried his system overseas, but not as often, Rossman said.

"He [had] stolen internationally and that somewhat scared him, because international law isn't exactly like America," he said. "If you steal there you could lose your hand, and he didn't think that was the wisest decision."

Pollara had been arrested locally several times in the past, but because shoplifting is typically treated as an isolated incident, it was difficult to recognize a pattern, Rossman said.

Stealing wasn't enough for Pollara he was looking for frequent shopping perks, too, Rossman said.

"One of the things he would do was he would use a reward card," Rossman said. "Obviously, for his small-ticket item, he still wanted to get his reward points and that was his downfall."

Fairley was able to track the reward cards' usage.

Since May 9, Fairley discovered Pollara had visited 139 Toys R Us stores in 27 states, spending a total of $6,737.94 on 175 purchases, according to Pollara's loyalty card records.

"Without a doubt this is the most prolific booster the term for a shoplifter that we've ever come across," Rossman said.

Michael Pollara was being held on $300,000 bond in the Broward County Jail. Margaret Pollara's bond was set at $29,100. At least one more arrest is expected.

More than $30 billion worth of merchandise is shoplifted nationally and more than $100 million worth is stolen in Florida annually, according to National Retail Security surveys.

"It impacts everybody and that's why we pay higher prices because of people like this," Rossman said. "The financial impact obviously has to get passed on and it gets passed on to the consumer."

You may notice the ebay ID's above. True to form one, linemart was NARu'd very recently, showing feedback clear up to the 5th of August, the other one, buymart-usa was still active and member in good standing clear up until earlier today, August 13th 2012, as shown on their feedback received.

If you've been paying attention at all you know there seems to be something very alluring about stealing Lego Toys and reselling them on ebay. This type of thing has happened over and over again, for mucho dinero.... covered previously in this thread topic.

It also goes to show you that when you see these supposed brand new in the box items on sleazebay at costs of less than what they are even manufactured for, it's because they're stolen or otherwise illegally obtained. Buying (and selling) on ebaY supports Organized crime and causes everyone to pay more at the checkout counter acroos the gamut of consumer goods

budnonymous · Top Poster

Former College Bursar Pleads Guilty to Committing Wire Fraud in Embezzlement Scheme
Agrees to Repay Over $398,000 in Restitution to College under Plea Agreement

U.S. Attorneys Office August 16, 2012

Western District of Oklahoma (405) 553-8700

OKLAHOMA CITY - Today, Brandi J. Henson, 49, of Yukon, Oklahoma, pled guilty to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to embezzle nearly $400,000 from Oklahoma City Community College, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

Henson worked as the bursar at Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) from 2003 through 2011. As bursar, she had access to the college's PayPal account. PayPal allows users to maintain financial accounts for the purpose of transferring money over the Internet. In her duties as bursar, Henson used OCCC's PayPal account to process refunds to students' credit cards.

Henson was charged on July 10, 2012, with wire fraud in connection with a scheme to embezzle money from OCCC. This morning, she pled guilty to one count of wire fraud. At today's hearing, Henson admitted that she improperly used the college's PayPal account to post refunds/credits to her personal credit cards. She also admitted that the embezzlement scheme lasted from 2004 to 2011. According to the information filed against her, Henson paid off more than $398,000 in personal credit card bills with OCCC refunds that she posted to her personal accounts.

At sentencing, Henson faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. As part of a plea agreement, Henson has agreed to pay restitution to OCCC in the amount of $398,315.12. A sentencing date will be set by the court in approximately 90 days.

The case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris M. Stephens.

budnonymous · Top Poster

This one is truly a Paypal classic. The fake element, combined with what got him caught. LoLz

Mugshot at link

Police: Alleged fake doctor skips out on cab fare

Updated 9:14 p.m., Tuesday, August 28, 2012

A Greenwich man already facing numerous charges in connection with insurance fraud and impersonating a doctor is facing more legal issues after he allegedly stiffed a cab driver on a fare Tuesday.

John Han**** Plunkett Jr., 49, with a last known address of 116 Maple Ave., was picked up by a Dial 7 cab outside the private Yale Club of New York City in Manhattan, police said. However, when he arrived in Greenwich, Plunkett did not have any cash or a credit card to pay the driver.

Plunkett attempted several times to pay through a Paypal account, but all were unsuccessful, police said.

He was arrested around 3 a.m. and charged with sixth-degree larceny and held in custody after he could not post $1,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Stamford on Sept. 5.

Plunkett was charged earlier this year with impersonating a doctor after he allegedly told a town woman he was a neurosurgeon who no longer worked due to having multiple sclerosis.

Police alleged he helped inject the woman, who had been diagnosed with MS, with Copaxone, a drug to control the disease. He also provided her with daily doses of the drug for five weeks that she often picked up at his residence at 20 Church St., police said. She would inject herself later.

Greenwich police arrested Plunkett in October 2011 after police said he used his father's identification to defraud his former wife's medical insurance company and other businesses of more than $50,000. He was charged Oct. 21 with 44 counts of identity fraud, 43 counts of second-degree forgery and one count each of first-degree larceny and criminal attempt.

Plunkett's other cases are pending.

budnonymous · Top Poster

BBC Radio 4 - You and Yours, 22/06/2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01jxvp1

Slightly dated. Scathing audio report from bbc regarding ebaY.UK, dealing with fake ID's, fake items, fake companies, ID Theft, and buyers not being protected even when ebaY knew full well the facts.

Stark and epic failures across the gamut of security, trust & safety, communication... and more.

It would appear that you no longer even need to be an ebaY member to be victimized by large scale ebaY scams.

Oh my! This is something!

I'll give you the ebay comedy response teasers
"...Cases of fraud are unusual ..."

They also have " ..sophisticated tools to prevent to prevent and take action on fraud... "

You'll die laughing while you become repulsed.

The ebay portion starts out around 7:40 into the program

Hurry, this audio clip will only be available at the site for the next 5-6 days from this post.

After that, it may be available by request from the Cappnonymous Archives, or check the ebaymotorssucks.com audio snips section. One could also save it easily with something like audacity.

-- Edited by budnonymous on Sunday 2nd of September 2012 07:19:54 PM

budnonymous · Top Poster

Second Swiss Army employee charged with stealing watches from Monroe warehouse

(mugshots at link)

Written by Brad Durrell
Tuesday, 02 October 2012 13:45

A third individual has been arrested for allegedly stealing wrist watches from the Victorinox/Swiss Army warehouse in Monroe.

The new suspect was a company employee but her alleged thefts were taking place separately from two men who recently were arrested for their role in stealing about $1 million of watches from the company, police said.

Linda Thanassi, 51, of 8 Tahmore Place, Shelton, was charged Oct. 1 with first-degree larceny. Bond was $30,000.

Monroe Police Lt. Keith White said Thanassi, an executive assistant at the company, was shipping the stolen watches through the Swiss Army mail system to someone in Texas.

Police: Appears she stole about 120 watches

Thanassi allegedly sent about 20 packages containing watches that weighed a total of 120 pounds from August 2010 to October 2011. Police said each watch weighs about 1 pound with packaging, so it is presumed about 120 watches may have been involved. No dollar amount was available on the estimated value of the stolen watches. In Connecticut, first-degree larceny involves the theft of $20,000 or more.

Police became suspicious because of the excessive number of packages being sent in the employee's name through the company mailroom. "She was sending an unusual number of watches to Texas," White said.

The stolen watches were being shipped to the same Texas buyer who was buying the stolen watches from the two other suspects, although the two cases appear to have no other connection, according to White. He said the buyer would resell the watches through an eBay account.

One of the two men charged earlier also was a Swiss Army employee.

The Monroe Police Department's investigation into theft at the Victorinox/Swiss Army facility now is closed, White said, but at least one other arrest is pending involving a Connecticut suspect. He said no arrests are expected in Texas in the case.

...continues...

budnonymous · Top Poster

Alberta warn of Kijiji risks, citing attempted robbery and home rental scam

WETASKIWIN, Alta. - Police in Alberta say that a couple of recent incidents are showing up the risks associated with online advertising sites such as Kijiji.

RCMP in Wetaskiwin say they were called this week to a report of an attempted robbery on a rural property outside the community.

They say the complainant was meeting someone who purported to be selling a vehicle on Kijiji, but instead the so-called seller smashed out the man's side window and pointed a gun at him.

The driver was able to get away and call police.

Meanwhile, RCMP in Grande Prairie are warning of a scam on Kijiji where people are posting fraudulent ads of properties for rent.

Officers say they learned of the scam when notified by a man that he was browsing the website when he saw his house - which he owns and lives in - listed as being for rent.

RCMP say the scammers are offering the properties under the guise of being out of the country for a time, then requesting money as a downpayment to hold the supposed rental property.

The victims only learn they've been duped when they show up at the home and find the owners living there.

"The RCMP have few avenues of investigation as the unknown persons responsible have been tracked to such places as Spain and Africa," said Cpl. Roy Kennedy.

He said anyone buying or selling any product on advertising websites should meet their counterpart in person and see the product before exchanging funds.

"Never send or wire money to sellers or buyers," said Kennedy. "This includes never mailing a cheque or using payment services like PayPal, eBay Motors Purchase Protection Program, Bidpay, Western Union or Money Gram."

The RCMP also recommends meeting the buyer or seller in public places and having another person accompany them.

Kijiji posts similar warnings on its website.