Originally published April 19 2005
eBay scammer gets six years, must pay $118,000 restitution to victims
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Charles Stergios of Brunswick Maine was ordered to pay $118,000 in restitution to his victims, and was sentenced to six years in prison, after he perpetrated an extensive set of internet scams using the popular eBay online auction service. Prosecutors asked for a five-year sentence, but the judge increased it to six years saying that Stergios did not show he accepted responsibility. Stergios bought high-value merchandise on eBay and then paid for it with forged checks from a nonexistent account. He also sold items on eBay, took the payment, and then never delivered the merchandise. Stergios attempted to steal about $420,000 in cash and merchandise, but only actually managed to steal about $120,000 because many transactions were never completed.
Frank said the sentence handed down was more than he requested.
"There were a number of reasons the judge decided not to follow it, but one of them was he did not think that the defendant had sufficiently accepted responsibility," Frank said.
During his sentencing, Stergios threw a pitcher of water at Frank, but Frank said he didn't think that entered into the judge's decision.
In pronouncing sentence, Singal said that in addition to harming his victims financially and emotionally, the defendant's crimes put a dent into the trust that is the basis for society in general and the Internet in particular, Halsey said.
Stergios pleaded guilty to three consolidated counts of wire fraud, mail fraud and bank fraud.
Between about April 2003 and about January 2004, Stergios tried to fraudulently buy and sell merchandise, including jewelry, watches and computers, over the Internet through online auction Web site eBay.
Stergios tried to trick his victims out of around $420,000, but the actual loss was closer to $120,000 because some of the transactions weren't completed.
In these transactions, Stergios would obtain either valuable merchandise for which he did not pay full value, or he would accept personal checks, bank checks, money orders, wire transfer payments and PayPal payments for merchandise that he did not deliver, and he would not provide refunds, Frank said.
In addition, Frank said Stergios would bid on items such as jewelry, watches and computers, accept delivery of the merchandise and then pay with a check from a nonexistent account at Border Trust in South China, Maine.
Border Trust received about 176 fraudulent bank checks for a total of more than $200,000, written on behalf of Stergios, Evolve Ent.
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