PITTSBURGH, Pa - After deliberating one hour, a federal jury found Atticus Sliter-Matias guilty of two counts of mail fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Sliter-Matias, 29, of Euclid, Ohio was tried before visiting United States District Judge Bill Wilson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to Assistant United States Attorneys Shardul Desai and Colin Callahan, who prosecuted the case, the evidence presented at trial established that from around June 2015 to on or about July 5, 2016, Sliter-Matias advertised electronic devices for sale on 161 eBay accounts. However, Sliter-Matias mailed empty packages through the United States Postal Service to the purchasers instead of the purchased merchandise. Sliter-Matias often used the proceeds from these fraudulent sales to purchase gold or silver bars and coins.
Judge Wilson scheduled sentencing for Oct. 1, 2018. The law provides for a total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $500,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered that Slither-Matias be continued on bond.
The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Sliter-Matias.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
