A Rutland man was indicted today on charges of eBay fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Burlington said John Landau is alleged to have listed and sold fake “celebrity memorabilia” over the Internet.
According to the indictment, Landau listed hundreds of items for sale on eBay that included jewelry, cufflinks and cigarette lighters he said once belonged to celebrities. Officials said Landau told visitors to eBay that the items had belonged to the likes of Joan Crawford, Ava Gardner, Lucille Ball, John Wayne and others.
The U.S. Attorney’s office says Landau allegedly sold to 165 people and took in $25,000. The case was investigated by the Secret Service and the Vermont Secretary of State’s office.