A US court has sentenced a man who made $100,000 by defrauding internet auction shoppers to 12 years in prison. Tomas Houser offered items such as electronics and watches to consumers using the eBay and Yahoo! auction sites. The goods did not actually exist.

According to reports, Houser defrauded at least 268 internet shoppers. The 12-year sentence is, according to the US Department of Justice, the most severe penalty ever for internet auction fraud.

Houser’s car and nearly $50,000 in cash have been seized by the authorities. The money will be used to repay his victims.

Houser was first arrested last December. He pleaded guilty to similar offences and was released on bail. He then continued his illegal on-line activities, operating from motel rooms in an attempt to evade arrest. Two months later he was arrested again, in Georgia.

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