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Richard S. SimonA Quincy man pleaded guilty Monday to theft and was sentenced to five years in prison for an eBay scam involving a non-existent Mickey Mantle baseball card.
Jeremy Markell, 29, pleaded guilty to theft over $10,000 and was sentenced by Judge William Mays. Markell also was ordered to pay $29,804 in restitution.
First Assistant State's Attorney Gary Farha said Markell put a photocopy of a 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie baseball card on eBay. Two people, one from Pennsylvania and one from Canada, bid on the item and sent Markell checks.
The victims were sent empty envelopes, authorities said.
One check was for $14,051 and the other for $15,789.59. Authorities say they were cashed by Markell's wife, Nancy, who still faces two counts of theft over $10,000.
Nancy Markell, 31, pleaded not guilty in January and faces an April jury trial in Quincy. She is free after posting 10 percent of $20,000 bond.
Jeremy Markell has been in the Adams County Jail since August after being indicted by an Adams County grand jury. He did not post 10 percent of $30,000 bond.
Court records show Jeremy Markell served two previous prison sentences for forgery and writing bad checks in Adams County.
After the checks were cashed and the baseball card was not delivered, victims contacted the Illinois State Police Internet Crimes Unit to report the fraud.
Online fraud is a persistent issue, and eBay has its own fraud investigation division. Unlike a retail outlet, items are not actually seen in person, and the bidder relies on the seller to be honest and to deliver the item upon payment.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported 6,246 Illinois complaints in 2006, the most recent statistics available. Total dollar loss was more than $6 million. The average complaint loss was about $695 per item.
Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Brad Lacey, who heads the general criminal unit based in Pittsfield's District 20 headquarters, says Internet fraud is not that uncommon, but investigators don't often see high-dollar cases like the one involving the Markells.
Lacey says buyers need to use good judgment when purchasing online items.
"We encourage people to do their homework and look at the seller's past history," Lacey said. "If you can, get an e-mail address from somebody who has bought from them before and ask them about the seller."
For large-dollar items, Lacey suggests asking for a personal meeting with the seller if possible, though with the worldwide reach of the Internet that's often impossible.
"It's easy to get a copy of a 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card and reproduce it, and portray to have it in your possession," Lacey said. "It's unfortunate there are people who willingly and knowingly will defraud people."
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This story offers two options if you get ripped off on any collectible.
The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center and state police internet crime units.
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