LEE COUNTY, Fla.- On August 15, 51-year-old Brent Thomson, of 94 E. North Shore Avenue, North Fort Myers, was arrested and charged with one count of Fraud and one count of Grand Theft after allegedly using Ebay to defraud a buyer in Virginia.

On April 27, 2012 the Lee County Sheriffs Office received a report of a fraud and grand theft. The victim, who lives in Virginia, had responded to an Ebay listing for the sale of a generator. The victim made contact with the seller, Brent Thomson, to arrange for the purchase. She sent $1350.00 via Money Gram with the understanding that Thomson would place the generator on a pallet for shipment.

Thomson picked up the money from the Money Gram at Walmart, 545 Pine Island Road, North Fort Myers shortly after the victim sent it. After receiving the money, Thomson failed to deliver the generator and began to give the victim numerous excuses as to why it had not been shipped. Thomson eventually stopped answering the phone and had his phone turned off. At this point, the victim contacted the Lee County Sheriff's Office to file a report

Due to the nature of the incident a detective with the Lee County Sheriffs Office Economic Crimes Unit was assigned to investigate the case. Detectives located and made contact with Brent Thomson at 250 Miramar Road, Fort Myers. Thomson denied the allegations and claimed he could provide documentation of the shipment - he also claimed the seller had sent someone to pick up the generator. Eventually, Thomson provided a receipt with a handwritten “Bill of Sale” and the name of someone other than the victim written on it.