According to the indictment, the suspects are accused of selling automobiles, motorcycles, motor homes and boats on reputable websites such as eBay, Auto Trader and Craigslist. They collected money from hundreds of would-be buyers throughout the U.S. over a 3-and-a-half-year period.
Prosecutors allege that the suspects never delivered one vehicle during that period, and instead withdrew millions of dollars and sent it to Europe.
The suspects reside in Germany, Russia, and Latvia and are currently in custody in Nevada and Orange County. The 24-count indictment includes charges of wire and bank fraud, as well as money laundering.
If convicted of all charges, the defendants would each face sentences that could total hundreds of years in federal prison.
City News Service contributed to this story.
