Romanian Man Convicted of Online Fraud

VICTORIA, Texas (AP) — A Romanian man has been convicted in Texas of online fraud in a scam claiming a member of the U.S. military needed to sell items before deploying.
A federal jury in Victoria on Wednesday convicted Doru Gabriel Trifu of 33 counts of wire fraud. Trifu remains in custody and faces up to 20 years in prison per count during sentencing later this year.

Investigators confirmed at least 230 fraudulent transactions since 2011 with payments sent online by potential buyers but no items delivered.

Prosecutors say Trifu was living in Orangevale, Calif., at the time of the fraud totaling more than $567,000. Buyers were told to transfer money to an escrow agent who could accept the funds, complete the deal and deliver items on behalf of a person in the service.