Farmington's Sanders Sentenced To Three Years For Federal Wire Fraud

— A Farmington man was sentenced Tuesday to more than three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to an Internet fraud scheme over two years defrauded several people out of more than $265,000.

Michael Ray Sanders, 38, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison.

Sanders also was sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to pay $190,000 in restitution and a $25,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Jimm Hendren presided over the sentencing hearing in Fayetteville.

Sanders pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in a plea bargain with prosecutors in September. Sanders admitted to defrauding nine people in seven states.

"We are committed to prosecuting those that perpetrate schemes to defraud people out of their hard-earned money. It is shameful that these victims were scammed out of those funds, but the person responsible has now been held accountable," Conner Eldridge, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, said in a news release. "Our office will continue to vigilantly pursue swindlers like Sanders in order to protect the assets of our local community and the citizens of the Western District of Arkansas."

According to court records, Sanders contacted people over the Internet who were looking for certain items such as rare automobiles, airplane engines, outdoor recreation equipment and drilling industry equipment. He claimed to have the items for sale. Sanders told them he would deliver the item after they made a down payment. After a person sent the payment, he would cut off all contact with them. Sanders never possessed the products he claimed to have for sale.

NW News on 03/05/2014

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