By Tara Godvin
The Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. - It seems like such a good deal - buying a vehicle for about half its worth.

But dozens of car dealers from Kentucky to Kansas have discovered in the last two years that one seller, who seemed like such a nice guy, apparently was a skilled swindler.

Edward Raifsnider, 45, of Joplin, Mo., is accused of writing false checks totaling about $2 million in at least 15 states to buy used vehicles from their owners and collecting cash when selling the cars and trucks to dealerships.

Four federal agencies are searching for the former construction business owner, including the FBI, Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Key to his success: The use of about 37 false identities and 17 false Social Security numbers, said Supervisor Deputy U.S. Marshal John Spray in Springfield, Mo.

"Mr. Raifsnider is just the ultimate master of false identities," said Spray, whose office is leading the investigation for the U.S. Marshals Service.

"The man is just, I mean, he's one of the best. He can become somebody in five minutes if he needs to," Spray said.

Raifsnider appears to have a fake U.S. Marshal badge, which he has used to pose as a marshal, Spray said.

Raifsnider also has portrayed himself as an FBI agent, a Secret Service agent and has a penchant for cowboy attire, said Detective Brady Stuart with the Joplin Police Department.

The police detective seems to also have been incorporated into Raifsnider's repertoire of identities. Raifsnider is accused of using the name Bradley Stewart to fraudulently buy vehicles in Chicago, Stuart said.

In Raifsnider's scheme, an expensive vehicle is paid for with a phony cashier's check on a Friday and sold several states away on a Saturday.

With offices closed for the weekend, it's impossible to verify whether the check is real and it's too soon for the vehicle to be reported stolen.

If caught and convicted, Raifsnider would likely face the equivalent of multiple life sentences in prison, said Nebraska State Patrol Investigator Gene True.

"I don't think there's enough time for every jurisdiction to get their time out of him," True said.

Dakota County in Nebraska issued an arrest warrant for Raifsnider in May, accusing him of theft by deception.

True said Raifsnider is accused of using a fake $140,000 check to buy a motor home and truck in Oklahoma on a Saturday in November 2002. Raifsnider then sold the vehicle to a South Sioux City dealership for $65,000.

Most of the thefts Raifsnider is accused of involve amounts in the $25,000 range. Spray said Raifsnider tends to target high dollar vehicles and uses a believable story - such as a greedy, soon to be ex-wife - to explain why he needs to sell at a low price.

Tom Chalk of Kokomo, Ind., said his one-ton truck was paid for by a fake check from "Ron Eckerson." According to police records, Raifsnider also worked under the name Ron Eckerson.

"He's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet," said Chalk, who noted that the person who took his truck on a snowy night in 2003 later called Chalk to let him know he arrived home safely.

Raifsnider frequently changes his facial hair, sometimes dons a toupee to disguise his balding pate and can drop and gain pounds with enviable ease, Spray said.