HOMEWOOD MAN CHARGED WITH WIRE FRAUD IN eBAY SCHEME

BIRMINGHAM, AL - JOSEPH THOMAS DAVIDSON, 49, has been charged in U.S. District Court with wire fraud in connection with an eBay scheme in which he received approximately $77,000 for stolen goods sold on eBay. This indictment is announced today by U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin and Carmen S. Adams, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“Online auction houses present an opportunity for a thief to turn a stolen item into cash. Thieves should know that law enforcement can surf sites too in investigating crime,” stated U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin. “To those contemplating internet fraud, be warned that there is a possibility of twenty years prison for committing wire fraud.”

The one-count indictment charges that Davidson stole more than 400 golf clubs and other golf equipment from Inverness Golf and Repair and sold them on eBay. Purchasers were from numerous states, including California, New York, and Ohio; and countries including Canada and New Zealand.

The investigation of this matter was conducted by Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Michael W. Whisonant is prosecuting this matter on behalf of the U.S. Government.