SHERIFF
01-16-2004, 06:39 AM
This guy, who lives 40 miles from me, had set up shop on eBaY...... selling stolen merchandise. Makes you wonder how much on eBaY was actually stolen before being listed.......
A stolen miniature train set posted on eBay put local authorities on the track of a man now suspected in the theft of more than $15,000 in antiques and other goods from stores around the state.
An Albemarle County detective learned that the train set, stolen from Antiquer's Mall, was for sale on eBay and traced the online account to Michael Duane Cody, 41, of Covington Street in Culpeper, police said.
Authorities searched his home and discovered more than $15,000 worth of stolen goods, including antiques and computer and art supplies, according to Albemarle police Sgt. Shawn Schwertfeger. The merchandise was taken from stores in 11 Virginia localities, including Charlottesville and both Albemarle and Greene counties.
The local Kmart and Wal-Mart were among the targeted businesses.
"It's not just antiques," Schwertfeger said. "You name it."
Authorities in Culpeper and Albemarle have returned about $14,000 worth of the stolen property, Schwertfeger said.
Cody was arrested Tuesday in Culpeper and charged with three counts of grand larceny, three counts of computer fraud and one count of larceny of a firearm, all felonies, Schwertfeger said. He also was charged with three misdemeanor counts of petit larceny.
Schwertfeger said that Cody's eBay account showed transactions of more than $150,000 since February 2000. It is undetermined whether the sales were illegal.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on the thefts is asked to call Albemarle police at (434) 296-5807 or Culpeper police at (540) 727-3430.
A stolen miniature train set posted on eBay put local authorities on the track of a man now suspected in the theft of more than $15,000 in antiques and other goods from stores around the state.
An Albemarle County detective learned that the train set, stolen from Antiquer's Mall, was for sale on eBay and traced the online account to Michael Duane Cody, 41, of Covington Street in Culpeper, police said.
Authorities searched his home and discovered more than $15,000 worth of stolen goods, including antiques and computer and art supplies, according to Albemarle police Sgt. Shawn Schwertfeger. The merchandise was taken from stores in 11 Virginia localities, including Charlottesville and both Albemarle and Greene counties.
The local Kmart and Wal-Mart were among the targeted businesses.
"It's not just antiques," Schwertfeger said. "You name it."
Authorities in Culpeper and Albemarle have returned about $14,000 worth of the stolen property, Schwertfeger said.
Cody was arrested Tuesday in Culpeper and charged with three counts of grand larceny, three counts of computer fraud and one count of larceny of a firearm, all felonies, Schwertfeger said. He also was charged with three misdemeanor counts of petit larceny.
Schwertfeger said that Cody's eBay account showed transactions of more than $150,000 since February 2000. It is undetermined whether the sales were illegal.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on the thefts is asked to call Albemarle police at (434) 296-5807 or Culpeper police at (540) 727-3430.