Police: Craigslist Hoax A Criminal Coverup

CRIME 

By Ethan Lindsey

Bend, OR  April 1, 2008 3:30 p.m.

What police thought was a Craigslist hoax may have been an attempted criminal coverup.  Robert Salisbury's belongings were ransacked near Medford after a posting on the online classified site said he was leaving the country and everything was free. Now authorities say two thieves were trying to cover their tracks, as Ethan Lindsey reports.

Police arrested a Medford couple on Monday for allegedly posting the 'come-and-get-it' ad on Craigslist.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Department says Amber and Brandon Herbert put the ad online to distract law enforcement.

Police say the Herberts admitted to stealing horse saddles and other items from Robert Salisbury's garage.

But they deny they made the Craigslist posts.

Detective Lt. Rich Fogarty with the Sheriff's Department, though, says officers tracked two Craigslist messages to a computer owned by the Herberts.

Sheriff's Detective Lt. Rich Fogarty: “It baffles me that people would just see something on Craigslist and then buy it at face value that it was legitimate. And then refuse to obey the demands of the property owner.”

Salisbury, the unlucky homeowner, says he is still missing more than $1000 in unreturned stuff.

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© 2008 OPB