It is a classic example of the greed eating away one’s pot of gold. A US couple has been found guilty of duping Amazon by stealing merchandise worth whopping .2 million. (Reuters image)
It is a classic example of the greed eating away one’s pot of gold. A US couple has been found guilty of duping Amazon by stealing merchandise worth whopping $1.2 million. 38-year-old Erin Joseph Finan and Leah Jeanette Finan, 37, have pleaded guilty to mail fraud and money laundering in US District Court in Indianapolis, according to AP report. The Muncie couple had bought hundreds of electronics items from Amazon using hundreds of fake online identities, US Attorney Josh Minkler was quoted as saying by AP. He said they contacted Amazon to report the items were damaged and requested replacements for free. The plea agreement requires the couple to repay money to Amazon.
Authorities said the couple then sold the stolen merchandise to an associate in Indianapolis, who sold the items to an entity in New York. Among the stolen merchandise were GoPro cameras, Xbox consoles and smartwatches. The deal also said the Finans waived their right to appeal if they’re sentenced to less than seven years and three months in prison.
Three agencies- the Internal Revenue Service, US Postal Inspection Service and Indiana State Police had investigated the case. The couple are scheduled to be sentenced November 9. Leah Finan was charged in April in Delaware Circuit Court with theft, deception and check deception in a separate case. Her trial for that case is set to begin Feb. 1. Erin Finan has been convicted of check deception in Delaware County and theft in Madison County.
