ELYRIA, Ohio -- A 14-year-old boy accused of scamming people on the Internet to get baseball cards and Beanie Babies has been charged with theft, prosecutors said.
Lorain County prosecutors filed the charge against the youth late Thursday. He will appear in juvenile court Dec. 10. Police would not release the name of the boy, who is in his parents' custody.
Sheffield Lake police said the youth offered to trade or sell items with people in four nations and several U.S. states. The youth used his bedroom computer to set up trades on the World Wide Web, but he never sent any money or items back to people.
Police began investigating after receiving a call from detectives in Springfield, Minn., who said a fan sent 40 trading cards to the home in Sheffield Lake, but a photo of Baltimore Orioles third baseman Cal Ripken Jr. was never sent to Minnesota, as the trade had arranged.
Police traced the youth through his Web site and said he stole about $1,000 in items.
