Scuba gear stolen in Deerfield Beach Fl being sold on eBay

[Ironman]

In May 2010, a trailer was broken into at the Extended Stay America location in Deerfield Beach FL, that contained a lot of scuba gear. Over $18000 worth of gear - tanks, drysuits, regulators, canister lights, backplates, wings - was stolen. The police (Broward County Sherriff's Office) were notified and called to investigate, reports were submitted, etc. Insurance claims were filed by the four victimized divers, that covered much of the loss. (Of course, the problem is, the next time any of these individuals have a loss, their insurance compnay may take a skeptical view - so just because they received a payment, it does not mean their loss was completely covered.)

In late June several of the stolen items appeared on eBay and the BCSO was notified. When the seller was approached, he apparently told the detective he had bought the items 'on Craigslist'. He reportedly contacted one of the divers and offered to sell the gear back 'for what it cost him' - and quoted a ridiculously high price, but several of the items were sold on eBay. After the detective confronted the seller, no more of the stolen gear was heard of for the next 6 months, until late December 2010, when it started showing up on eBay, again being offered by the same individual (Jorge Machin) in Miami who had previously said he bought only a few items, 'on Craigslist'. One of the divers apparently purchased back several items that had been stolen from him and confirmed from the serial numbers that it was his previously stolen gear.

If you have purchased used scuba gear on eBay from either 'psdirect2u' or 'advancedtoolandequipment', there is a pretty good chance that you have purchased gear stolen from these four divers, or someone else. It is your choice to buy it, and no claims can be made against you. But, if you buy used scuba gear from this seller, under either eBay ID, you are quite possibly supporting larceny. Think about it, and how you would feel if others bought gear on eBay that you knew had been stolen from you.

 

[Skydiver1]

In May 2010, a trailer was broken into at the Extended Stay America location in Deerfield Beach FL, that contained a lot of scuba gear. Over $18000 worth of gear - tanks, drysuits, regulators, canister lights, backplates, wings - was stolen. The police (Broward County Sherriff's Office) were notified and called to investigate, reports were submitted, etc. Insurance claims were filed by the four victimized divers, that covered much of the loss. (Of course, the problem is, the next time any of these individuals have a loss, their insurance compnay may take a skeptical view - so just because they received a payment, it does not mean their loss was completely covered.)

In late June several of the stolen items appeared on and the BCSO was notified. When the seller was approached, he apparently told the detective he had bought the items 'on Craigslist'. He reportedly contacted one of the divers and offered to sell the gear back 'for what it cost him' - and quoted a ridiculously high price, but several of the items were sold on eBay. After the detective confronted the seller, no more of the stolen gear was heard of for the next 6 months, until late December 2010, when it started showing up on eBay, again being offered by the same individual (Jorge Machin) in Miami who had previously said he bought only a few items, 'on Craigslist'. One of the divers apparently purchased back several items that had been stolen from him and confirmed from the serial numbers that it was his previously stolen gear.

If you have purchased used scuba gear on eBay from either 'psdirect2u' or 'advancedtoolandequipment', there is a pretty good chance that you have purchased gear stolen from these four divers, or someone else. It is your choice to buy it, and no claims can be made against you. But, if you buy used scuba gear from this seller, under either eBay ID, you are quite possibly supporting larceny. Think about it, and how you would feel if others bought gear on eBay that you knew had been stolen from you.

If the sellers story of where he sourced the equipment does not check out, why have the police not pressed charges.

 

[JBRES1]

Are the doubles that he is selling on E-bay part of the missing gear ?
Here is his listing .
Dual Twin Scuba Diving Tanks w Dive Rite Wing BC E8-119 - eBay (item 300517796138 end time Jan-31-11 19:00:29 PST)


Jim Breslin

 

[Colliam7]

Are the doubles that he is selling on E-bay part of the missing gear ? Here is his listing .
Dual Twin Scuba Diving Tanks w Dive Rite Wing BC E8-119 - eBay (item 300517796138 end time Jan-31-11 19:00:29 PST)

Yes, those were among of the items stolen. Presumably, they hadn't even been broken down since they were stolen. The owner thought about buying them back but had already put the insurance money toward a new set. That was the last big item from the gear that was stolen to make it to eBay.

I bought back my double 100s, SS backplate, and DR Super Wing, still assembled (and unrinsed after a day of ocean diving) just as it had been in the trailer the night it was stolen 7 months before.

If the sellers story of where he sourced the equipment does not check out, why have the police not pressed charges.

A great question. To say that the enthusiasm that the Broward County Sherriff's Office detective demonstrated in pursuing the case was 'tastefully muted' would be an understatement. Realistically, they probably have more serious, violent, crimes to spend their time on. But, it is still galling to see people get away with stealing like this.

 

[idocsteve]

if you buy used scuba gear from this seller, under either eBay ID, you are quite possibly supporting larceny. Think about it, and how you would feel if others bought gear on eBay that you knew had been stolen from you.

I bought back my double 100s, SS backplate, and DR Super Wing, still assembled (and unrinsed after a day of ocean diving) just as it had been in the trailer the night it was stolen 7 months before.

Aren't you supporting larceny?

 

[gypsyjim]

How does Ebay handle complaints about stolen items being sold through their system? Any recourse there at all?

 

[Elvistheking]

Looks like we handle things slightly differently this side of the Atlantic. The other day I had before me 2 guys that had been stealing Hub caps from cars, one of the victims found his hub caps on Ebay, "won" them, meet the seller and noted the number plate of his car and contacted the police.

Not only the person who stole the hub caps but the ebay seller were before me and my colleagues on the bench and they will now be doing 300+ hours of community service, paying back the cost of the hub caps and if they commit any more offences in the next year or screw up the community service they will be going inside for a few months.

I guess the moral of the story is,maybe not worth bothering in Florida but if your in the UK and catch the seller you'll notonly get your stuff back but they will be dealt with as well.

(in addition in the UK even if someone had "bought it on craigslist" the goods would still have been returned to the "real" owner, similar happens a fair amount when an innocent buyer buys a stolen car here)

 

[FWADIVER]

I'm actually surprised about that, usually receiving stolen good, the goods become forfeit, so even if he bought them on craigslist, if the serial numbers matched, the goods should have been forfeit and the cops should have been able to seize and return the equipment, its then the job of the guy who 'bought it on craigslist' to file a police report against the seller to get his money back at that point... I have bought something stolen on ebay without knowing it. They cops showed up at my door, and took it, and I never got a dime of my money back...

 

[emoreira]

There is a point in this whole story that does not fit.
The first victim received the money from the insurance company for the stollen gear.
Sometime afterwards the victim finds the stollen gear on sale in e-bay.
He makes the arrangement to "buy" the gear to the e-bay seller. He files a reclamation to the police, e-bay, and "his" gear is given back for no money.
Now the victim has his original gear back with him and also the money from the insurance company.

In the case of stollen cars, the insurance company receives the rights for the stollen car, and in the case that the car appears back, the new owner of it is the insurance company.

 

[gypsyjim]

It is illegal to recieve stolen goods, even if one is not aware that they have purchased stolen merchandise.

At our store we have helped recover stolen items more than a few times, recently, but if we spend any money to secure items that are stolen, all we can expect in return is THANKS, but not the $ we spent.

My employer made the mistake once, of making a purchase of some very expensive items, knowing they would have to have been stolen, and immediately contacted local law enforcement with the information that led to arrests, but the $ he spent was never repaid. I told him this would be the result, but he was sure he would at least be repaid for his efforts.

Since that day, we have worked out a better system to assist recovery, without throwing away our $.

I have worked at other stores where police seized stolen items that the stores had purchased, unaware of the fact they were stolen. Any purchase is always a case of "buyer beware"!!!