Christopher Sean Justin, 31, of Fayetteville, North Carolina,
and April Bates, 23, of Gulfport, Mississippi, had been travelling
around the US between November 2004 and February 2005, staying in
local motels and advertising cars on various car-related websites,
said the Justice Department.
Justin claimed to be a member of the military and told buyers he
was trying to sell the cars before being shipped overseas. Victims
sent the pair money, usually in the form of cashiers’ cheques,
which Justin and Bates would cash before skipping town.
After a four-month crime spree, the pair were arrested on 17th
February by officers with the Colorado State Highway Patrol.
Both Justin and Bates were charged with conspiracy to commit
mail fraud and wire fraud. They pleaded guilty and were sentenced
on Friday by an Ohio District Court.
Justin faces 18 months in jail followed by three years of
supervised release, while Bates was sentenced to 15 months
imprisonment. Both were ordered to pay restitution to victims, a
total sum of $60,206.
Gregory G Lockhart, US Attorney for the Southern District of
Ohio, warned, "This case reinforces the fact that people who buy
goods over the internet must exercise the same diligence and
caution as they would if purchasing items from someone
face-to-face.”
