Legal Question in Criminal Law in Washington
Fraud
I sold a guitar on eBay that I received as a gift. I knew nothing about it other than what it looked like and what was written on it. I plainly said that I had no info on it, and that I was going off what I found on the internet. I never claimed it was authentic or otherwise. The buyer say's it's fake, and I got an e-mail from the police saying that charges may be filed against me for fraud. Is this a viable charge? I never claimed it was real, and said clearly that I knew nothing about any guitars let alone this one. What should I do? I have to send them a return e-mail by friday or charges will be filed. I didn't do anything wrong, as far as I can tell. Did I?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Fraud
It doesn't sound to me like you did anything wrong. Unfortunately, this will not stop the prosecution from bringing charges. I would not respond to them without having a defense attorney help you draft your response. At this phase of a case, they are trying to get you to incriminate yourself. People often feel that telling the truth cannot get them into trouble but it usually does. Please contact me directly for a consultation. What city/county is charging you?
At your service,