Shoplifting Couple Jailed for eBay Toy Sales
- By David Kravets
- March 23, 2010 |
- 5:51 pm |
- Categories: Crime, The Ridiculous
A California couple that bragged on national television about shoplifting toys — which included Lego and Star Wars-themed toys — have been sentenced to more than a year in prison each after being busted selling the hot goods on eBay.
Matthew and Laura Eaton were indicted in September, more than a year after they appeared on the Dr. Phil show bragging about their escapades. They told viewers they earned about $3,500 per week selling the goods they pilfered from outlets surrounding their suburban San Diego home.
The 27-year-old woman was sentenced to 366 days imprisonment. Her 34-year-old husband got 27 months on Monday.
Using eBay user IDs such as “meeaton75,” welcomemat75″ and “matt_hts,” the defendants informed their online eBay clientele they lawfully obtained the toys from “distributors,” according to the one-count conspiracy indictment (.pdf).
The indictment alleges that in August 2008, they hijacked a Star Wars Millennium Falcon toy from a Target near their home, where the authorities discovered 500 other boxes of stolen toys. In all, the authorities said the two sold about $100,000 worth of shoplifted toys on eBay between 2006 and 2009.
According to a transcript of the Dr. Phil show that aired November 2008, Dr. Phil McGraw asked the husband: “Are you lazy?” Eaton replied: “Probably.”
When issuing the sentences Monday, U.S. District Judge Irma Gonzalez “went off” on McGraw, who was not at the hearing.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune:
“What a charlatan this man is,” the judge said during the hearing. “What a terrible, terrible man.” Gonzalez was perturbed that McGraw holds himself out as a doctor wishing to help. But, the judge said to Matthew Eaton, “he obviously didn’t help you.” Matthew Eaton’s lawyer said the couple went on the show seeking help for their chronic shoplifting problem. On the program, however, they came across as bragging about their exploits and not appearing particularly troubled.
See Also:
- Bongs, Virginity and Other Stuff You Can’t Sell on eBay
- Judge Doesn’t Give Tiffany a Trademark Silver Spoon in eBay Flap
- Gruesome Virginia Tech Domain Names Already for Sale on EBay
- Court Okays Counter-Hack of eBay Hacker’s Computer
- Feds Bust Cookie-Stuffing Code Seller
- D.C. Sex Madam Plans to Sell Internet Radio Interviews on eBay
Their sales were REAL “Steal of a deal!”
Isn’t Dr Phil accountable. I saw him exploit a woman who put her kid up for adoption and then she changed her mind and squirmed her way into the kids new adopted life. I quit watching Dr Phil, all TV for that matter.
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You guys need to hire an intern to check your PDF links and despam these comments.
This is ridiculous. Economy or not. Pay some kid 200 bucks a week to clean this stuff out. You’re in New York, put a craigslist ad up.
Your articles are still OK quality. I’m waiting for another big feature post.
You guys are probably the only cybercrime blog out there worth reading. Don’t lose your touch.
Toy thieves caught. Nice one, America.
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Now really impress us and put some fucking bankers and war criminals in prison.
“Matthew Eaton’s lawyer said the couple went on the show seeking help for their chronic shoplifting problem.”
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A “chronic shoplifting problem” is not a recognized mental health issue. If you’re purposely going out to steal things and sell them for a profit, it’s not kleptomania. These are just two crooked crooks and that’s all there is to it.
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That being said, Dr. Phil is a terrible, terrible person, and clearly has little to no interest in helping people in any real way.
Ugh, what a couple of losers.
“Toy thieves caught. Nice one, America.
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Now really impress us and put some fucking bankers and war criminals in prison.
That’s just the problem, daren_gray.
The bankers and war criminals have the money to avoid such indictments. If you are shoplifting toys you obviously are in nowhere near the same echelon. A sad case, but true.
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@daren_gray, stop whining. How ’bout we send the Dems to the gallows first who passed legislation in the 90’s (that even dullard Bill Clinton said was a Bad Idea) that forced banks to loan money to poor people so they could buy houses they couldn’t afford? And War Criminals? Uh, there were over 20 countries in the Coalition to get Saddam out of Iraq. The war criminal prison you shaggy haired socialist dream of would be pretty crowded.
@imaduck, it probably is covered now that Barry got his ‘health insurance for idiots’ bill passed…
I wonder why they got such disparate sentences if they were both charged with and convicted of the same charge.