OKLAHOMA CITY – A Cleveland County man indicted by a federal grand jury is accused of reaping more than $100,000 from the sale of stolen merchandise on eBay “to unsuspecting buyers throughout the United States.”
Cameron Hunter Tate, 30, of Norman, was accused by a federal grand jury here last week of conspiring with an unnamed resident of Oklahoma City “and with other persons” to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.
For at least 10 months in 2018, the indictment alleges, the conspirators stole sporting goods and other items from retailers throughout the Oklahoma City area and “transferred the stolen merchandise to Tate.” He in turn listed the items for sale on eBay and usually sold each item to unsuspecting buyers “for a fraction of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price,” the indictment claims.
Tate received payments via PayPal for the purloined property and shared a portion of the proceeds with “the co-conspirator who had stolen the merchandise,” the case alleges.
A U.S. postal inspector informed the court that the Oklahoma City Police Department received an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip in October 2018 about a theft ring operating in the OKC area. “The tipster met with detectives” and related that Tate “and at least one other known co-conspirator” were stealing merchandise from OKC metro retailers and selling the items at a discount on eBay.
As part of its registration process, eBay “specified various ‘restricted activities’ from which all users agreed to refrain, including selling stolen items,” the indictment notes. In addition, eBay, an online auction marketplace headquartered in San Jose, Calif., “advised all of its users in a separate policy statement that the sale of stolen property was ‘strictly prohibited’.”
Prior to the Crime Stoppers tip, the OKCPD received from one retailer a package that included surveillance videos and photographs of individuals committing thefts from their store.
Police executed a search warrant on Tate’s apartment on October 24, 2018, and seized more than 100 items of merchandise “that appear to have been stolen,” the postal inspector reported. Much of the merchandise was in its original packaging with the price tags still attached.
Law enforcement officers confiscated “a large volume” of crossbows, designer purses, trail cameras, electronics, baseball bats, golf clubs and other items, the postal inspector wrote. The officers also seized several electronic anti-theft security devices that had been removed from the merchandise “as well as tools used to remove” the devices.
The merchandise was identified as stolen from Dick’s Sporting Goods, Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops and Golf Galaxy, the postal inspector said.
Tate allegedly provided the unidentified co-conspirator with “a list detailing the loss-prevention practices of various retailers” in the Oklahoma City area, including information “such as security camera locations and store policies regarding whether employees were authorized to apprehend shoplifters.”
The co-conspirator told investigators Tate instructed him to steal specific items such as crossbows, expensive baseball bats, and golf clubs “because they were more profitable and sold faster.”
For example, the co-conspirator admitted stealing from Cabela’s in Oklahoma City a TenPoint Carbon Nitro crossbow priced at $1,799.99 in March 2018. Two weeks later Tate sold such a crossbow on eBay for $950 and mailed it to the buyer in California.
The co-conspirator admitted stealing a Lowrance marine sonar transducer from Cabela’s valued at $3,149.99 in May 2018. Four days later Tate sold the item on eBay for $2,499.99 and mailed it to the buyer in Dallas, Texas.
Dick’s Sporting Goods in Moore provided video surveillance of the co-conspirator stealing Titleist golf clubs valued at $1,299 in June 2018. PayPal and eBay records reflect that Tate sold one Titleist golf club for $299.99 three days later and mailed it to the buyer in California.
Besides the stolen merchandise discovered in Tate’s apartment, officers reportedly found “a large amount” of shipping supplies, including dozens of U.S. Postal Service shipping boxes, along with U.S. Postal Service receipts for the pilfered property.
If convicted, Tate could be sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, Western District U.S. Attorney Timothy Downing said.