COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A fake car sales scam under the guise of an eBay program was halted in 2019 and its ringleader is now sentenced to 170 months federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney General for the Southern Ohio District.
A press release said Terry J. Boutwell, 38, of Columbus and his co-conspirators “defrauded hundreds of victims across the country out of a combined total of more than $ 10.6 million.”
Boutwell is also due to pay $ 10,639,225.91 in compensation for the illegal operation, which ran from 2015 to October 2018 and defrauded more than 850 victims nationwide.
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US Attorney Vipal J. Patel said the US investigation into the fraud was extensive and involved many law enforcement officials.
“Boutwell and his co-conspirators may have committed themselves to carrying out this elaborate plan, but our law enforcement partners at all levels across the country have been equally committed to bringing justice to the hundreds of victims who lost hard-earned money to these criminals.” said Patel. “Now we hope that we will get the money back to them by refunding them. In the meantime, Boutwell will be serving an extended stay in federal prison. “
The program involved the criminals “posing as eBay employees” and “using third parties to open bank accounts on behalf of mailbox companies that appeared to be affiliated with eBay,” the press release said.
The press release goes on to say that victims were instructed to “transfer funds to various third-party bank accounts they set up” and that operators of the fraud “claimed to be affiliated with eBay’s buyer protection program when in fact no such relationship existed. ”
Patel also warns consumers about monetary transactions that are not typical of online sales.
“This case serves as an unfortunate reminder that scammers will find new and sinister ways to rid you of your hard-earned dollars,” added Patel. “Any attempt to communicate or make payments outside of an online merchant’s existing system should be made with the utmost skepticism and caution.”
Co-conspirators named in the press release include Tiffany A. Strobl, 41, of Columbus and Shalitha R. Schexnayder, 41, of Miami. Strobl received a five-month prison term and was sentenced to pay more than $ 2 million. Schexnayder received the lightest sentence of six months of house arrest as part of a five-year suspended sentence at the federal level.
