News: Boston Man Pleads Innocent in Car Scam On eBay
July 22nd, 2005 by Laurie BarakSource: The Morningstar News
A Boston man was ordered held on $2,500 bail on Friday after pleading innocent to charges that he collected more than $28,000 from at least four people in a scam in which he sold cars on eBay that he never delivered.
Odilon DeMoura, 22, who also goes by the name Adam DeMoura, was arraigned [on] four counts of larceny over $250 and one count of conspiracy.
DeMoura and another person, using the screen names aladdinautosales and rockstar6474, offered several vehicles for auction on eBay, including a 2001 Toyota Celica and a 1997 Ford Mustang Cobra. The ads included detailed pictures of the cars for sale.
The top bidders then negotiated shipping costs with DeMoura or the co-conspirator into the price before sending payments to DeMoura’s East Boston apartment, prosecutors said. DeMoura has allegedly cashed checks totaling more than $28,000 since March.
The alleged victims live in Missouri, Illinois and Texas and paid between $6, 000 and $10,000 for the cars. DeMoura was arrested on Thursday by state police, who also seized financial records from his apartment. eBay is cooperating in the ongoing investigation, state authorities said.
DeMoura is scheduled back on court on Aug. 25. The attorney general’s office would not comment on charges against the alleged co-conspirator in the case.
Here’s a link to another article about this scam from the Boston Herald.
