TRENTON
-- Attorney General Peter C. Harvey announced
that the Division
of Criminal Justice has obtained a
guilty plea from a Monmouth County man
on charges that he stole more than $50,000
from individuals who purchased various
types of electronic merchandise through
Internet-based auction sites and never
received the items. The fraudulent scheme
victimized 22 individuals from 17 states.
According to Vaughn L. McKoy, Director,
Division of Criminal Justice, Wayne J.
DeVita, 26, Newman Springs Road, Lincroft,
Monmouth County, pleaded guilty today
before Middlesex County Superior Court
Judge Frederick P. DeVesa to a criminal
Accusation which charged theft by deception
(3rd degree). A third degree crime is
punishable by up to five years in state
prison, a fine of up to $15,000, and restitution.
DeVita is scheduled to be sentenced on
April 22.
“Computer-related
crime such as fraud and theft is a high
priority for the Attorney General’s
Office of Computer Crime which includes
state investigators from the Division
of Criminal Justice Computer Analysis
& Technology Unit and detectives from
the State Police High Technology Crimes
& Investigation Support Unit,”
said Attorney General Harvey. “The
Attorney General’s Office encourages
the public to be extremely careful when
purchasing merchandise via the Internet.
Always make certain you are dealing with
legitimate companies and that any financial
transaction is via a secure server. Never
provide credit card or social security
numbers to unknown individuals or corporations.
If you suspect fraud, contact the Division
of Criminal Justice Computer Analysis
& Technology Unit, the State Police
High Technology Crimes & Investigation
Support Unit, the county prosecutor’s
office or local police.”
In pleading guilty, DeVita admitted that
from August, 2000 through June, 2001,
to using a home computer system to advertise
the availability and sale of electronic
merchandise such as computers, laptops,
scanners and printers. The items were
listed for auction via the Internet through
e-Bay and Yahoo. (Note: Internet auctions
allow a seller to list an item for sale
at some minimum price. The host web site
gathers bids from interested purchasers
for as long as ten days after which time
the winning bidder sends payment to the
seller who in turn ships the purchased
goods to the bidder.) DeVita admitted
that on 22 separate occasions he sold
or auctioned $50,833 worth of merchandise
he did not possess and could not obtain,
collected advance cash payments (generally
through money orders or PayPal), and failed
to deliver the merchandise or return the
cash payments to the purchaser. The investigation
determined that DeVita used various names
and/or organizations and various E-Mail
and Web addresses to receive and negotiate
payments.
The investigation was conducted by the
New
Jersey State Police High Technology
Crimes & Investigations Support Unit.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney
General Mark Murtha assigned to the Division
of Criminal Justice - Computer Analysis
& Technology Unit.
Attorney General Harvey noted that the
Attorney General’s Office of Computer
Crime employs teams of specially-trained
state investigators and detectives who
investigate, arrest and prosecute individuals
who use technology and computer systems
to commit criminal acts in New Jersey.
As part of their continuing responsibilities,
investigators respond to complaints alleging
fraud and other Internet-based criminal
activity, patrol various chat rooms where
potential sexual predators seek to engage
juveniles in conversation and to ultimately
lure a targeted juvenile to a sexual encounter,
and conduct forensic analysis of computer
systems seized as part of criminal investigations.
_ag-ph_update.gif)
