----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2003 4:22
PM
Subject: [Sndbox] Man arrested in alleged
sales of pictures, not TVs, on eBay
Man arrested in alleged sales of pictures, not
TVs, on eBay
By Larry Hobbs, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 17,
2003
| What
should happen to Roberts? |
| |
Jail time |
72% |
2295 |
| |
Repay the
money |
8% |
262 |
| |
Lifetime ban from
eBay |
3% |
97 |
| |
Nothing |
16% |
516 |
| Total
Votes |
|
3170 |
|
| |
WELLINGTON -- A budding young entrepreneur went on eBay in March, promising
savvy television shoppers a bundle in savings on a large-screen "plasma high
definition picture," the sheriff's office said.
And that is just what 19-year-old Jeffrey Roberts of Wellington
delivered. A picture -- of a big-screen plasma television. Deputies said
at least four eBay shoppers from coast to coast took the bait, netting Roberts
a total of $11,726.
But authorities were not amused, nor were they satisfied that Roberts met
the legal terms of the offer by mailing buyers a "picture." Deputies arrested
Roberts, of 12064 Suellen Circle, Wednesday and charged him with grand theft.
He was released from the Palm Beach County Jail Wednesday on $3,000 bond and
is set to appear in court Nov. 21.
"Most people thought, 'Wow! What a deal,' " said Detective Pete Palenzuela
of the sheriff's business crimes unit. "The victims would send him a personal
check... but instead of a television, he would FedEx them a small envelope
with a picture of a television inside."
The victims hailed from California, Illinois, Georgia and Connecticut, and
paid anywhere from $800 to $5,100 for what they believed were high-definition
plasma televisions with screens ranging from 50 to 61 inches, Palenzuela said.
Such cutting-edge technology sets can cost between $8,000 and $10,000 in
retail stores.
Roberts' justification didn't hold up with authorities. First, he
advertised in the popular online auction company's electronics section. And
although the headings described the item as a "picture," the high-tech details
that were included made it clear the seller was describing a television,
Palenzuela said.
Sang Park of Palatine, Ill., paid $3,701, thinking he had bought a
50-inch Panasonic.
Park still has the computer print-out photograph that he received
instead.
"I said, 'You gotta be kidding' " said Park, 32, a dentist. "I e-mailed him
back and he said, 'That's the item you were bidding on.' "
Deputies tracked down Roberts through complaints filed by Park and others
with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center. But Roberts' arrest offers little
solace to Park.
"After a while he basically sent me an e-mail saying that he went fishing
and lost his cellphone, so there's no way to get ahold of him," Park said. "I
want my money back."
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