When people sell items over e-Bay and receive payment for them, they're then supposed to make sure the buyer gets what was purchased. However, Fairfax County police say a Centreville man purposely didn't deliver the goods and, accordingly, they've charged him with embezzlement.
He is Robert Michels, 50, of 5218 Stoney Branch Court in the Country Club Manor community. And in a July 5 affidavit for a search warrant to seek possible evidence in his home, police Det. James L. Reid detailed the case against him.
"MR. MICHELS advertised a 1956 Ford Thunderbird for sale on e-Bay," wrote the detective. "Stuart Goldberg, who lives in Montana, won the bid. Mr. Goldberg wired Mr. Michels $28,500 on Sept. 12, 2003. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to pick up the vehicle, Mr. Goldberg contacted the Fairfax County Police Department."
Based on Goldberg's report, wrote Reid, on April 4, police arrested Michels. However, at the time of his arrest, the car's whereabouts were unknown. And, stated Reid, "The vehicle, title and associated paperwork are considered evidence in [this] case."
Recently, though, police received a break when, explained Reid, a "reliable source" provided information which led them to the vintage car's location. On June 17, the detective obtained and executed a search warrant at an Oakton address, impounding the Thunderbird as evidence.
According to Reid, Michels' girlfriend met Reid there and gave him the car's keys. The title and associated paperwork were not with the vehicle — nor was the vehicle identification number (VIN) plate. But Reid also learned from his "source" that the documents he sought were in a desk in the Centreville townhouse where Michels was living.
Furthermore, wrote Reid, "The reliable source also advised that the ad to which Mr. Goldberg responded is stored on a computer [inside that townhouse]." In addition, he noted that he also spoke with a previous owner of the car, Salvatore Tripoli.
"MR. TRIPOLI sold the vehicle to an auction house in Indiana," wrote the detective. "Mr. Michels purchased the vehicle sometime after that." According to Reid, Michels contacted Tripoli in 2003, asking Tripoli to mail him the car's VIN plate, and he did. Apparently, wrote Reid, "The VIN plate had been taken off while the vehicle was being restored."
Reid then executed the search warrant in Centreville last Tuesday, July 6, seizing a computer, as well as the title, purchase agreement, registration cards, insurance I.D. cards and DMV receipts for a 1956 Ford.
Michels has an Aug. 9 court date in connection with this case. However, this is not his first brush with the law. After committing a criminal offense on Jan. 13, 2003, police charged him Oct. 2 with two counts of obtaining money by false pretenses. (At that time, his address was 12021 Golf Ridge Court in the Penderbrook community).
The charges were dropped in December. But he was eventually straight-indicted by the grand jury on four counts of this crime, with one count later dropped. On June 3 of this year, he was convicted in Circuit Court on all three counts and is slated to be sentenced by Judge David Stitt on Aug. 6.