A Rutland man who made more than $25,000 selling fake celebrity memorabilia over the Internet will stay out of jail. Instead, 42-year-old John Landau will spend two years on probation. Landau had earlier pleaded guilty to mail and wire fraud.
Prosecutors say Landau ran his fraudulent business on the Internet auction site e-Bay from his Rutland home for nine months. Prosecutors say he falsely claimed the items he was selling had belonged to John Wayne, Lucille Ball, Joan Crawford and Ava Gardner.
Defense attorney John Pacht says Landau had been using crack cocaine and was suffering from depression. Pacht says Landau is now in treatment.