As reported on last year (see “eBay Entertainment Memorabilia Dealer Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges in U.S. District Court“), eBay entertainment memorabilia dealer David Bruce Shyrock plead guilty to fraud charges in federal after defrauding over 1,200 eBay users out of nearly $175,000 by selling memorabilia with forged autographs on the popular online auction website. Today, the Joplin, Missouri man was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Dorr to eight years and four months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Shyrock to pay $174,894 in restitution to his victims. All facts come from separate reports published by KY3.com and OzarksFirst.com.
Per the Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, Shryock confessed to using eight different eBay accounts to defraud 1,232 victims between February 2005 and December 2010. The nature of the fraud was the sale of music and sports memorabilia featuring forged autographs.
Per the article published by Ozarks First:
Shryock was arrested on Dec. 15, 2010, following a police chase. Joplin police officers responded to a call regarding a burglary in progress at The Law Offices of Ty Gaither, 740 Illinois in Joplin. When officers arrived, the back door of the business was broken out and a Cadillac was parked behind the business. When Shryock walked out of the business and saw the police officers, he got into the Cadillac and drove off at a high rate of speed. Another officer, who had been parked in front of the business, activated his lights and sirens but Shryock refused to stop and a pursuit ensued. Shryock drove off a cliff and ran from his vehicle, but was arrested after a brief foot chase.
Officers searched Shryock’s vehicle and found a Norinco 9mm semi-automatic pistol, which Ty Gaither identified as his, and which he had been keeping at his office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Shryock has prior felony convictions for forgery, failure to return rental property, possession of a controlled substance, and unlawful merchandising practice.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Carl Junction, Mo., Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Jason DeBord