Michigan Man Sentenced on eBay Wire Fraud Charges
Davenport, IA- On June 25, 2009, Awad Fuad, 25, of Dearborn, Michigan, was sentenced to 3 years probation with a condition that 4 months be spent under home confinement for each of four counts of wire fraud, with those sentences to be served concurrently, announced United States Attorney Matthew G. Whitaker. United States District Judge John A. Jarvey also ordered that Fuad pay restitution in the amount of $9,711.58 to the victims of his crime. Fuad was also ordered to pay $400 to the Crime Victim Fund.
The case involved fraud in the sale of motor vehicles over the internet. Fuad advertised certain vehicles, including a 1996 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 Twin Turbo, for sale on eBay. As part of the scheme he sometimes used aliases and false identifiers in corresponding with certain purchasers via email. Fuad accepted payment or partial payment for the vehicles and then failed to deliver them to the purchasers. Fuad would then respond to the purchasers by e-mail using aliases and false identifiers in stalling and fending off their inquiries.
This investigation was conducted by the Marshalltown, Iowa, Police Department and the United States Secret Service.